


Old EC

by BerylRouge



Category: Akame ga Kill!
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-05-07 11:51:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 38,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5455541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BerylRouge/pseuds/BerylRouge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tatsumi, Night Raid's newest member, seizes the opportunity to join Esdeath's group and thus becomes the Revolutionary Army's most valuable informant. Once part of the courtly world, he makes friends and enemies alike and soon gets involved in the machinations within the Palace's walls. Together with his allies, he uncovers uncomfortable truths while the world outside is at war.</p><p>- I am currently working on a Prequel, thus this work is on hiatus and will, as soon as the time is right, be added to the new version -</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cold Day in the Sun

**Some little announcements before you read.**

**This story does not really follow the canon material – neither manga nor anime. It is my intention to write something completely new and to see how a different scenario would have played out. Maybe this is also the time to point out that I am crazy about everything that has to do with the Middle Ages, Renaissance and the Baroque period. Therefore, this story is a kind of playground to overindulge in the creation of a scenario that has characteristics of these centuries.**

**There will be two rather unusual pairings, so don't read if you cannot reconcile anything but EsdeathXTatsumi or WaveXKurome (a pairing which will DEFINITELY NOT appear in this story!) with your conscience. I do my best to draw the characters in the way they were presented in the manga, but for reasons of plot development, I take the liberty of interpreting them slightly different at times. Furthermore, I want to add more layers to them and for this purpose, I use OCs because they provide the basis for new and varying kinds of (inter)action and material. As an OC does not have the background of a canon character, it is here and there necessary to elaborate on them – but this does not mean that I want them to steal the spotlight from the established cast!**

**Okay, shall the story speak for itself. I am looking forward to your constructive criticism and reviews!**

* * *

 

It was a warm day in late spring. The trees and flowers were in full bloom and spread their sweet perfume all over the Palace gardens, announcing that summer was setting in. A gentle breeze made the sun's merciless beams more bearable, but still the heat that was reflected by the smooth, glossy tiles that formed the many little paths of the outdoor facilities, turned every movement into hard work. For this reason, most people had sought the coolness of the Palace's inside and thus the green spaces were only scarcely frequented by some poor gardeners who could not escape from their daily routine. This circumstance added an exceptional silence to the usually so busy and loud scenery. Only the buzzing of insects and the lapping of the many water installations filled the air.

Thus, the clicking sound of heels that kept hitting the marble pavement resounded all the louder.

Esdeath was on her way to the training grounds that bordered on the woods where she would supervise the efforts of her newly formed squad, the Jaegers – and also to remind two members of another duty connected to their daily patrol around the Capital.

By her side – or more precisely: a few steps behind her – was a powerfully built young man in his late twenties. His dark brown curly hair was neatly brushed to the side, but still some strands demurred to obey and decorated his forehead. The symbol of Esdeath's army was emblazoned on his corselet's upper section. Around his hips was a broad leather belt that held a longsword. His legs as well were clad in the same finely forged type of armor and reflected the sunlight as he moved. This circumstance additionally underlined his natural charisma. The soldier's upright posture mirrored his inner pride to serve under the Empire's most feared general, and equipped him with the aura of a classic chivalric warrior. Young chambermaids and elder women alike began to whisper behind cupped hands into ears and started to blush and giggle childishly as he passed them by. However, the brunette's stoic expression never vanished and his eyes, as clear and blue as the sky above them, stayed glued to his superior's back who was leading the way.

"Please excuse this question, General Esdeath, but don't you think that Great General Budo won't be too happy to see your group occupying the place that is actually meant for his disciples?" When he spoke it was like spoken velvet. His voice was a calm baritone whose sound perfectly conveyed the respect for his boss but somehow contrasted with his fine features.

Without bothering to turn around, Esdeath answered while going straight on towards her destination. "I don't care." she stated dryly. "These are the only training grounds on the Palace premises and I am sure that Prime Minister Honest will allow us to use them in case he is interested in rotting out Night Raid along with the whole rebellion."

Esdeath's escort bowed his head slightly, ignoring the fact that his general would not take notice of this action. Inwardly, he was not too delighted to be confronted with the Jaegers. He had just come back from the battlefield where he had successfully quelled another attempt of the northern tribes to move closer to the Capital. It was not that he didn't appreciate the degree of trust that Esdeath granted him by appointing him lieutenant, but it was eating him that he had not been compatible with any teigu yet. It is worth more to be in command of a complete army than to wield a fancy weapon. He thought, trying to soothe himself. However, his body was speaking a different language: Iliya tightened the grip around the hilt of his weapon and gritted his teeth.

When Esdeath took her cap off to fan herself with it, he smoothed his features and put on his mask of coolness again, already anticipating that she would turn around and face him. And she did.

"Tell me, Iliya. Did you reward the soldiers adequately?" She stopped and articulated him with a gesture of her hand to walk next to her. When he was on the same level, she placed one of her arms across her back while resting the other on her rapier.

"They got whatever their hearts and bodies desired." the warrior answered without mincing his words.

A faint little smile appeared in the corner of Esdeath's mouth. "It would not be a bad thing if you sought some fun as well from time to time." She raised an eyebrow.

"I have no such desires, general." The man's face showed no sign of emotion. Only in response to Esdeath's derogatory gaze, he elaborated on the subject. "General, I have learned from the best. If I may be so bold as to say something like this, but you as well do not waste time with terse matters such as love."

Her lieutenant spoke true words. She had always been disgusted by her soldiers that ravaged mostly the women of the villages and tribes they had defeated. But she respected it because it was the right of the strong individuals to do whatever they liked to the ones they subjugated. And when it was what their nature as superior forms of being dictated them to do, then it could not be helped.

"We also have managed to keep the number of casualties on our side as low as possible." Iliya reported in an attempt to finally bury their little excursus on these rather private matters.

"Hnn. I haven't expected anything else from you. Good work."

Iliya knew perfectly well that this was certainly not praise but a sheer observation of facts. And still it warmed the heart lying beneath his stoic surface to hear these words coming from her lips. "However," he began anew, "Major Watanabe came up with the silly idea to spare some young males with the intention to train them to become members of our army."

The young general snorted with laughter. "And what did you say?"

Iliya was reluctant to answer. He was not sure if Esdeath approved of his decision. "Apparently, some more men took a liking to this idea. I did not want to affect the team spirit. So I consented." Esdeath stopped. The man swallowed hard. "The problem sorted itself out. Most of the boys would rather commit suicide or attack us – but there is no big difference, I guess. Long story short, there is only one survivor and I have set up a little challenge for him to convince us of his unwavering loyalty." The last part of his speech was spoken in a rather sly tone.

"Then I guess the upcoming execution will be kind of entertaining." Esdeath cooed and placed her cap back on her head.

In the meantime, they had reached the end of the garden and were now ascending the stairs that led to a pit. It was hardly visible what was going on there as the whole area was covered in a thick sand cloud. Only the roaring of voices gave a vague idea.

Just when the general and her subordinate came to a stop, a young woman came barging out from the white-brown cloud of dust and directly fell against Iliya's iron clad chest. The man instantly fended off the body contact by pushing her brusquely away, the movement similar to someone who was chasing away an annoying animal. The chestnut-haired girl held her stomach and coughed heavily as she stumbled a few steps forward. Esdeath put a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed it in an almost motherly manner.

"You give away too much killing intent, Seryu. This makes it easy for the enemy to detect you." She sounded unusually soft while speaking these words.

Beholding the imposing figure of Esdeath, the girl instantaneously straightened up, trying her best not to let shine through how biting the pain in her body was from the kick she had just received from her sparring partner. Seryu wiped away the thin layer of sweat on her forehead and nodded affirmatively.

A few seconds later, the dust ceased and the silhouette of a tall, slender figure appeared that was coming closer to the bystanders. A crooked smile spread across Esdeath's face. "Is this how you treat a lady in the Navy?" the young general asked jokingly.

The tall man bowed down and consequently wept the dust from his shirt. "General Esdeath! What an honor to see you!" His dark blue eyes lit up and a genuine friendliness became apparent. He shook his head heavily to get rid of the sand that dulled the shine of his thick hair. Under Iliya's cold look, he picked something up from the floor. It was a dark cutlass that he adjusted to his belt. As soon as he had finished this action, he turned his attention to his comrade.

"I am sorry, Seryu! Are you okay?" Due to the difference in height, the young man bent his body forward to make sure their faces were on the same level.

"Yup, I'm fine! It takes more than one kick to defeat Seryu Ubiquitous! Only with hard training, I can be able to carry out justice and eliminate evildoers!" With a mixture of cheerfulness and determination, she bumped her fists together and laughed.

Esdeath looked at the boy in front of her with sort of a skeptical look. "You certainly have perfected your strength, Wave." The former sailor could not fight a dorky grin when he heard these words. "But there is still a lot of training ahead so that you can use it productively. You just don't have these resources under control." she added and his facial features somehow slipped away from his control, resulting in a stupid grimace.

"My words. Wave is a drag." a sober and emotionless voice resounded from behind the group's back.

"K-Kurome!" the addressee exclaimed. "Then let me show you how strong I am!" His hand wandered to the weapon that only a few instants ago had been resting on the dusty ground.

"Tch." was all he got as a response from the black-haired, pale girl in a dark sailor uniform. She simply turned around and stuffed her mouth with cookies from a huge bag she cradled in her arms like a baby. Wave pulled a sulky face and swallowed down the urge to defend and justify himself any further. Anyways, his youngest comrade had directed her attention to Koro who was chasing a butterfly. "General, I appreciate your advice!" the dark haired youth uttered instead, bashfully scratching the back of his head as he turned towards his superior.

"Wave, Seryu. I have an additional order for your patrol this evening. There are posters ready in the assembly room. I want you to hang them up all over the Capital."

Before someone else could say or do anything, a roaring voice echoed through the area. "General Esdeath! What do you think you're doing here?! These grounds are exclusively meant for the training of the Imperial Guard!"

Esdeath rolled her eyes, slightly bent her head to the side and chuckled. "Lieutenant Kester." She spat the first word like a serpent that was about to attack. "I don't think that you are authorized to address me like this." The calm tone in her voice did not leave any doubt that she was prepared to show him his place if necessary.

"I am Great General Budo's second in command an-"

"And this is why you cannot give an order to another general." She cut him off in a now querulous voice, piercing him with her icy blue eyes.

Iliya, who was standing behind her, gloated over this display of power relations. With an elegant and swift step, he moved in front of his general and drew his weapon. "General Esdeath. He is not even worth your attention. Please let me settle this matter here."

Esdeath hunched her shoulders, wearing an indifferent expression on her face. Today, she was not feeling like playing around, so why not letting her subordinate take care of this megalomaniac.

Kester however remained unimpressed. With a casual swing, he as well unsheathed his sword. "My pleasure."

For a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, the two men kept exchanging threatening looks, none of them willing to be the first to break the eye contact. Then, synchronically, they turned around and walked over to the training area, one to its left side the other to its right where they both prepared themselves to fight.

Seryu, Kurome and Wave hardly dared to breathe. The air was electrified by the tension between the two lieutenants. It was not the best-kept secret that the Imperial Guard and Esdeath's unit were at the outs with each other. This fact was not least because of the strongly diverging philosophies of their respective leaders: Esdeath's conviction of the survival of the fittest and Budo's oath to protect the innocent were two irreconcilable concepts. This tension was further reflected in the mutual dislike of their respective lieutenants. A rivalry that was deeply rooted in their common history.

Iliya, younger but therefore more battle experienced, held his longsword high above his head. Kester, wiser and clearly the one with the better self-control, waved at him in a mocking way, beckoning his opponent to come at him. The brunette man instantaneously shooted ahead, by doing so leaving a trail of dust behind him. Budo's second in command stayed calm and did not even blink. In an instant, he had gauged the radius of his opponent's weapon and when the right moment came, he made good use of the battlefield's characteristics and kicked the tip of his boot heavily into the dirt, causing another dust cloud to arise and thereby limit Iliya's sight. Despite his bulky build, he light-footedly jumped out of the longsword's range.

Iliya acted instantaneously. With incredible velocity, the brunette soldier swung his weapon in a circular movement in response to this cheap trick, what eventuated in the disappearance of the dust. This effect brought a self-assured smile to the man's lips, which was answered with a cold stare from the other one's steel-grey eyes.

And again they were staring at each other. Not even the arrival of another person could break this fixation.

"Gentlemen. It is such a beautiful day. Shouldn't you use it for more convenient things than causing such a ruckus?" Run approached the battlefield and placed himself with a kind smile in between the two. He hoped that the reason he had come for was good enough to put oil on these troubled waters. "General Esdeath." He bowed down. "Lieutenant Iliya. I come to remind you that it is time to head to the execution grounds. The preparations are all made. Everything is set up as you wished for. However, there are some official documents that need to be signed as we have to present them to the War Council."

Iliya looked over to Esdeath without turning his head. He only moved his eyes. She nodded sidewards. This was the signal for him to bed his sword in its sheath again and let the quarrel rest until another point in time. Already now, the order was gnawing on his pride who would actually not allow him to withdraw from a duel. But to him, her orders were unquestionable and ultimate. It was because of that reason that Iliya kept a straight face and did what Esdeath expected of all of her subordinates: absolute obedience. Without looking at Kester again, he joined Run and the blue-haired general as they made their way back to the Palace.

Wave sighed in relief once the three people were out of sight. "Lieutenant Kester, please accept my apologies. It was not in our sense to obstruct the training units of the Imperial Guard." He had his hand on his chest and bowed his head. For some reason, he felt guilty and responsible for this escalation.

The other man eyed the Jaeger closely, if only for some seconds. A brief smile later, he turned his back and wordlessly walked over to the group of young men that were waiting to begin their daily exercise.

Seryu shared Wave's opinion and patted him comradely on the back. The girl whistled through her fingers. Alarmed by the shrill tone, her little dog teigu instantly abandoned its activities and rushed to its wielder's side.

"It is a real shame. We are all on the same side. How can we purge the Empire from evil if we cannot manage to work together within our own military?" she mused.

The two made some steps away from the training grounds when Wave noticed something. He turned around and saw that Kurome was still sitting on the hemicycle that separated the garden from the dusty area where now the Imperial Guard was working out. "Yo, Kurome! Don't you want to join us?" he asked cheerfully. Their little banter from earlier that day was already erased from his memory.

The girl shook her head and indulged in her candy consumption again.

"She is also not making things better." Seryu thougt out loud.

"What did you say?" Wave asked as he directed his attention to the former member of the Imperial Police.

"I mean that Kurome as well is not really a prime example for cooperativeness. She is giving all of us a hard time." Her face showed signs of discomfort. Saying such things gave Seryu a bad feeling because she wished that they all got along well together. But Kurome had proven to be a tough case. Since their formation approximately two months ago, she had not showed the slightest interest in socializing with any of the other members. All she ever did was munching on her cookies or making sharp remarks.

Wave thought for a while. "Just give her some more time. She is the youngest member. I am sure she just needs some time to get used to this new situation." Then, he paused as another fact bubbled up into his mind. "Besides… she comes from a branch of the Empire's forces that I guess is not known for its exceptional teamwork."

Seryu drowned her worries with a bright smile. "I guess you're right! And I am hopeful that General Esdeath will come to a compromise with Great General Budo, too."

"Don't worry about this." A clock struck five. Wave's look wandered to the tower of the cathedral in the distance. "Now it's time for us to begin our evening duties. Therefore, we shall be focused. So let's go and fetch the posters the general was talking about." Wave playfully poked her upper arm with his elbow.

Seryu sighed. "Ah! What a shame that we have to leave! So we cannot witness the execution of the evildoers."

Wave could not share this point of view. As far as he was concerned, he would rather stay away as far as possible from these procedures. The young man could hardly believe that in the Capital, which was also known as the Empire's cultural center, such barbaric ways of justice were still practiced. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind. All he had to do was to fulfill his duty. This is what he owed to the man who had saved and changed his life so many years ago.

xXx

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Sheele exclaimed. She was sitting on her hands because her comrade had forbidden her to touch the wound ere she had finished the treatment.

"And how did that happen again?" a young woman with sandy blonde hair asked as she blotted the laceration on Sheele's head with a cotton pad.

"Oh. I went upstairs to my room to… uhm… I don't know… I wanted to look for something… No, for someone! Oh, no, wait… I was…" A rather long pause followed. "I forgot. Sorry." Sheele bowed her head down in shame.

The other woman smiled kindly. She was already accustomed to Sheele's curious injuries – after all, that was a fixed part of her everyday work. Sometimes, Extase's absent-minded wielder would visit her in the treatment room multiple times a day. One thing was for sure: thanks to Sheele, she would never be out of practice.

"I am sorry to trouble you so often, Gwenn." Sheele sighed, her voice meek.

"It's okay. That's what I am here for. So don't worry." the young doctor placated her comrade, applying a plaster to the wound when she became aware of the hostile look a pair of pink eyes was darting at her. It was a thorn in Mine's flesh to see Gwenn with Sheele.

"The boss wants us to gather in the conference room." she said snappishly before leaving again. Her turning was so quick and strong that her dress fluttered under the movement.

Gwenn scoffed and shook her head. She rose from the little stool and removed her white doctor's coat. The girl went to the door and was already standing in the corridor when she realized that Sheele had remained inside the room.

"Sheele?" she asked carefully.

"Hun?" the purple-haired woman turned her head.

"You come?" Gwenn asked.

"Where do we go?" Sheele's eyes widened. Apparently, it had totally escaped her attention that Mine had been there.

Gwenn rolled her eyes. She liked the girl but she was slowly running out of patience. She has hit her head a few times too many. "Just come." A little irritation resounded in her words.

All other members were already assembled around the long table. Najenda, as usual was sitting on her armchair, smoking a cigarette.

Tatsumi was excited. After months of hard training he was finally allowed to take part in the conferences, and it seemed like his first mission was only around the next corner. He made eye-contact with Bulat who gave him an encouraging smile, holding his thumb up. Tatsumi nodded and looked around the room. Everybody was there. Also Chelsea and Najenda's new teigu Susanoo. They had arrived shortly after him but other than him, they did not need any additional training. The brunette beheld Chelsea who was sitting on the opposite side of the table. The auburn-haired assassin was just making mooneyes at Lubbock who up to now had not really taken notice of this apparent display of interest because he was still too consumed by his obsession with Najenda. The newcomer himself was not an expert in love matters, but even he could easily tell by the way Chelsea was always trying to get next to the bookseller and catch his attention that her feelings were not simply that of comradeship.

When Night Raid's medic, Gwenn, had taken a seat next to Bulat and Sheele had placed herself in between Akame and Mine, Najenda decided to start. "Just this morning, I received the latest reports about the situation in the North. It looks like Esdeath's army was able to defeat the northern tribe's main forces with little effort. The one behind the campaign was a man named Iliya whom Esdeath has just recently appointed lieutenant." She took a binder and flipped through a few pages before she cleared her throat and proceeded. "The man is relatively young but our research has shed some light on his past and it looks like despite his age, he has fought on many battlefields and has made a name for himself. Before he entered into the service of Esdeath, this man was one of the Empire's top executioners due to his precision with the longsword."

"Is he in possession of a teigu?" Lubbock asked.

Najenda shook her head. "But this doesn't mean that you should not take him seriously. The sheer fact that Esdeath entrusts him the command on the battlefield during her absence is proof enough that she must hold him in high regards. And there is only way to garner her respect." The silver-haired woman paused.

Tatsumi looked at his teammates. Everybody was grim-faced as they looked at Najenda. Bulat noticed the confusion on Tatsumi's face and enlightened him. "Esdeath is best known for her sardistic and brutal modus operandi. She lives for carnage and war. Thus, this man has to be equipped with a similar disposition to rise this high in her army."

Najenda continued. "There is one more thing we should be worried about. It looks like the Path of Peace has recently attracted more attention. Informants of the Revolutionary Army have gathered the information that there is a plan to kill their leader in order to replace him with someone who is under Prime Minister's Honest's control."

"The Path of Peace?!" Tatsumi exclaimed. He remembered the kindness of these people and their servility. He had experienced it when he was still in his little village. "Why would they do something like this?! They don't harm anyone!" He was so huffed with the information that he shot from his chair and slammed his fists onto the table. With this action, all heads turned to look at him.

"Religion can be an important factor in troubled times like these. We can only guess, but it looks like the worse their situation the more likely are people to look for solace in other places. Therefore, the number of supporters and members of the movements keeps steadily growing. And as the Path of Peace is rather associated with us than the Empire, the Prime Minister is afraid to lose possible allies." Najenda explained. "Everyone whose face is not known to the Empire yet will head out and try to gather as much new information as possible. That's all we can do at the moment since our hands are tied due to Esdeath's new group, the Jaegers."

"Can't the local team take care of this kind of work?!" Mine pouted. Her thin arms crossed in front of her chest.

"We need every available source." Night Raid's leader stated. The tone that had crept into her voice made unmistakably clear that she was not willed to start further discussions.

xXx

The clock struck six.

There were only a few free seats on the ranks that surrounded the execution grounds. And still it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The laughter and cacophony of voices had ceased as soon as Esdeath and Iliya had entered the arena. Right behind them was another member of Esdeath's army. His armor was testament to this affiliation. The insignia that was engraved into his arm protectors showed that he had the rank of a major.

Closely behind this man followed a boy. Maybe ten years old. Twelve at most. His expression was blank and he seemed not to perceive anything that was happening around him. The boy was dressed in beige rags that were sprinkled with darker spots that were dried blood. He was barefoot.

The group stopped in front of a massive wooden pillar that rose from the middle of the arena high into the sky. The naked feet of the person that was bound to it dangled an arm's length over the ground. Under the body was a darker spot from the urine he or she was no longer able to hold in the face of the nearing end. A white piece of cloth was wrapped around the human's head. It reached down to the stomach, making it impossible to identify who the poor soul was who was about to die under the crowd's judging looks. Heavy and uneven breathing, already similar to a death rattle, came from underneath the fabric.

The setting sun bathed the whole area in orange-red light whose warm color contrasted with the air that was gradually cooling down. The red tint created a sense of foreboding in the colosseum. It hinted at what was about to come. Red was the color that best symbolized what the many people had come for: to satisfy their perpetual hunger for bloodshed.

Before Iliya followed Esdeath to the end of the arena from where they would watch the scenario, he laid a hand on the major's shoulder. When he whispered into his ear, his voice was tinged with a layer of sarcasm. "Come on, proof me wrong Watanabe. Show everybody how you glorious man, who so honorably spared this lad's life, managed to turn a filthy animal into an obedient soldier." A spiteful grin spread over his face.

Major Watanabe swallowed hard. He watched Iliya from the corner of his eye and a drop of sweat rolled down his temple. When Iliya had taken his place next to the bored-looking Esdeath, the major inhaled deeply. The lieutenant's words did not fail to have the desired effect. If his attempt failed, he would have to take full responsibility for it. Or in other words: a visit to the torture chambers was inevitable. Besides, everyone knew that it could not be taken for granted that one would ever leave this little paradise of pain again once he had entered it. Watanabe pulled out a handkerchief from one of his pockets to dry his sweat-coated bald head and his thick neck with a quaking hand.

Then, with a bold movement, he pulled the piece of cloth from the tied up body in front of him. A woman became visible. She gasped for air. Her head was red from the heat and the lack of oxygen under the sheet. Her hair was messy and stuck up at some points, showing that it had been cut short for this very occasion.

"BEHEAD HER!" the major roared, turning towards the boy. "What the hell are you waiting for?!"

The child's lip started to tremble and huge droplets fell from his eyes. "Mother…" he whispered.

"PROVE YOURSELF WORTHY!" the soldiers ordered as he slipped his sword into the kid's hand. His voice was shaky. Watanabe could not believe that Iliya had gone this far.

At first, he did not want to move. He couldn't move. The sight of his mother being humiliated by dying at the hands of her own son was too much for him. His hands hung limply to the sides of his body. But when the major once more pressed the sword's hilt into one of his palms, the child's eyes suddenly came to life again. A fire had been lit. Hate. Disdain. Desperation. All of these emotions gleamed in his eyes. His look became more and more intense until his appearance was that of a lunatic. With eyes opened wide, he tilted his head and chuckled.

"Ha…haha…ha…hahaha…" Little spasms ran through his body.

And suddenly, he began to yell from the top of his lungs.

"RRRRAAAAHHHHHHRRRRHHHH!"

The sound was earsplitting and of such intensity that the majority of spectators startled and sunk deeper into their seats.

With this horrible noise, he kicked the man in front of him with all he got, ramming his bare foot against the metal of his armor, completely ignoring the pain.

The rage had numbed him, had taken him the last bit of his humanity.

Before major Watanabe could react, he hit the ground. The man lay there like a turtle on his back and held one hand defendingly in front of his face while he used the other to support himself.

"No, please, no, no!" he pleaded, the words spluttering though his lips.

Everything happened within a split second.

An air blast hit his hot, clammy face and he saw a silver shimmer. Then, a warm drizzle bedewed his face. He looked at his arm. Where his hand had been was now a stump from which a fountain of blood streamed.

"Ha-ha-…HAAAAA!" Watanabe screamed in pain and yells and noises of indignation came from the crowd.

The next thing he felt was the second bite of his own sword's blade. This time on his neck. Everything became hazy and blurred, everything was spinning and his head hurt. When his vision cleared, the world was upside down. He saw his headless body and then faded into the black.

On the edge of the field, Iliya smiled like the cat that got the cream. "Old fool." he scoffed. Calmly, he looked as the blood was leaking out from the mutilated body, coloring the sand underneath black. Also Esdeath showed no signs of mercy. She prepared herself to leave the scenery. "Take care of the rest." she ordered her subordinate. The women shook her head in disbelief when she left. Incredible what a fool this major had been. Watanabe had always been dead wood to her anyways. The Prime Minister might had thought she would not see through it, but she had known perfectly well that the reason why he had talked her into promoting this person was his need to know what she was up to. To be able to monitor her ventures closely. Good riddance to bad rubbish!

At the same time, the boy darted forward towards the pillar in an irrational attempt to free his mother. Before he was there, Iliya had reached the middle of the pit. He jumped into the air, casting a shadow onto the boy that kept moving forward. In mid-action, the lieutenant drew his sword and took a big swing to have the force to cut the child in front of him into two even halves, dividing him from head to toe. His mighty sword cut through the skin like a warm knife through butter.

"NOOOOOOOO!" the mother's shrill voice echoed through the arena. With horror she looked at the two pieces of flesh that once had been her beloved child.

Iliya's eyes were filled with rage. With one more cut, the woman's head fell. It made a dull sound as it hit the ground and rolled next to one half of her dead son's body.

His head raised up high, he cleaned his sword on the dead mother's robe. His countenance was blank. Only through his eyes did he show the disgust he felt while looking at the objects to his feet. Subsequently, the soldier addressed one of the bystanders that were in charge of the maintenance of the arena. "Hey you! Clean up this fucking mess!" He gestured exuberantly towards the corpses.

Under the applause and yelling of the audience, he strode along the path that led to the exit.

xXx

From a distance away, Seryu heard the cheering and applause coming from the colosseum.

She sneered. "You hear that, Koro? Justice has once more extinguished the evil."

"Kyu?" Koro tilted its head to the side and looked up to its wielder who was standing on a small ladder to pin one of the posters to a wall. The young woman whistled and pressed the paper onto the hard background.

Only a short distance away, Tatsumi had to realize that he was completely lost.

The others had given him the order to meet with some members of the local team but the many alleys and paths had proved to be like a labyrinth. Every now and then, he had asked people for his way but this had only caused more confusion. Now, he was trying to locate his current position on the ridiculously big map. He took the paper into his hands and outstretched his arms. This is not a map, this is modern art!

Tatsumi's biggest fear however was to disappoint his comrades. This was his first mission and he did not want to fail – especially not because of Mine. Her pestering would become unbearable if he gave her a concrete reason for it. The brunette took some steps back until he hit something hard.

Seryu was standing on top of the ladder, admiring the poster in front of her, when a sudden quake made her falter. Her heart skipped a beat when she slipped off the edge and fell down.

Tatsumi looked up and saw a figure falling towards him. The youth reacted as fast as lightning and broke Seryu's fall by catching her. When she landed on his arms, she instinctively placed her hands on his shoulders and looked into the piercing green eyes of the boy that was carrying her bridal style. My fall and my savior. The sentence bubbled up in her mind and she laughed with a kind expression on her face. Tatsumi blushed when her warm eyes met his. This was the first time he was this close to a girl.

"A-are you okay?" he stammered.

"Yes. You can let me down now." Seryu raised her eyebrows.

"Sure!" Tatsumi exclaimed and broke their eyecontact. He gently placed her onto the ground.

"I am so sorry! I was not paying attention to my surroundings." The boy picked up the map that he had exchanged with Seryu. He held the paper up and tried to explain the accident. "I was mapping the read – ehm. Redding the mapping. Argh." What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I so tongue-tied?!

She looked at him with curiosity. "Are you lost?" The Jaeger asked sweetly and giggled.

He hated to admit it, but finally did so. "Yes." he uttered meekly.

"Former member of the Imperial Police: Seryu Ubiquitous! Always at your service!" She straightened up and saluted.

Tatsumi could not fight his own smile at the sight of the girl in front of him. Her straight posture, her shiny hair that was complimented by the green color of her clothes and her determined yet friendly expression made her look incredibly beautiful in this late evening light.


	2. No Music When the Lights Go Out

Something I failed to explain in the first chapter is that I changed the characters’ ages as follows: Teens: Kurome. Late teens: Mine, Akame, Chelsea, Mez. Early 20s: Tatsumi, Seryu, Wave, Lubbock, Gwenn (OC). Mid 20s: Leone, Run, Esdeath, Syura, Suzuka. Late 20s: Iliya (OC), Najenda, Bulat. 30s: Kester (OC). 40s: Budo. As I cannot indicate so many acting characters in the story’s summary, you can also use this list as an answer to the questions which ones will play a more important role in this story.

“What is your destination?” Seryu asked. She was happy to be helpful, smiling from one ear to the other.

Tatsumi was somehow relieved. She was not the typical Capital citizen who would had given him a sneer to remind him of the fact that he came from the country and stuck out in the city like a sore thumb. Instead, this girl was attentive and outgoing. Night was gradually closing in and would make it even harder to find his way.

Therefore, he felt relieved that she didn’t take an offence at his carelessness that had almost made her fall off the ladder and was even so nice as to offer her help. Even though it had left a bitter taste in his mouth when she had mentioned that she once had been a member of the Imperial Police. Ogre. The name brought back memories. He was Tatsumi’s first victim. Or target – what is the more elegant form used among assassins. Aniki has taught me this. But for now, he managed to condone this little detail.

The boy scratched the back of his head. He thought for a while but could just not remember the name of this square. Looks like Sheele’s problem is contagious. It was sad, but he could not fight back a grin. But then, he remembered a detail. Lubbock had said that he shall meet the member of the local team by the fountain. “I want to go to this square with a fountain on it.” Tatsumi explained. A square with a fountain on it. I sound like a half-wit.

“Oh, I know that one! You’re lucky it’s on my route! Come!” she squealed and without warning took his hand in hers.Their fingers intertwined like he had seen it lovers do.

Tatsumi flinched under the sudden touch but soon perceived the body contact as surprisingly pleasant. He looked at her hand. Her fingers were slim with clean and symmetrical nails. Besides, Seryu’s grip was firm and yet gentle. He moved his fingers, hoping that it would not be too obvious that he did so in order to feel the smoothness of her warm skin.

It was just now that he took notice of the little white creature that looked similar to a dog. The white fur ball’s black eyes gleamed at him. It was apparently not too happy about his owner’s decision to touch a stranger. Seryu noticed Tatsumi’s questioning look resting on her teigu.

“That’s Koro.” she explained. “Actually, its name is Hekatonkheires. But that sounds weird, don’t you think so, too?”

“Is it a dog?”

“No, no! It’s a biological teigu.” She bowed her body to the side to caress its head. The tiny creature began to calm down a bit and nestled its cheek into its owner’s hand, cooing with satisfaction. “Just imagine, I was the only one it reacted to. I assume it must me my sense of justice.” Seryu beamed all over her face, visibly proud.

Tatsumi swallowed hard.

She said former member of the Imperial Police. And she has a teigu. The new police force that is led by Esdeath is said to be made up of members from all kinds of military branches. And they were all chosen because of their teigu. He took a heart and asked her. “Do you happen to be a member of the Jaegers?”

The brunette tried to keep his expression blank and his voice sober. “Ah! So the news has spread very quickly. Haha, it makes me feel like a celebrity.” She blushed. “Yup! I am one of the people who try to make the Empire a better place by rotting out all evil and bring justice to this country.” Seryu clenched her fist in front of her chest and pressed it onto her heart.

 _Justice. She seems to enjoy hearing herself speaking this word, huh?_ He thought and labeled it as an adorable quirk.

Tatsumi could swear that he had seen a gleam of insanity in her eyes as she spoke. And he could tell. The last two months he had been surrounded by insane women his twenty-four-seven. He knew crazy when he saw it – and luckily he had quite rapidly learned how to deal with it.

Otherwise, he would sit in an asylum with few to none chances of recovering. In this respect, it didn’t shock or astonish him any longer. But now that he became so aware of this fact, he was not sure if this was a good or a bad thing.

Whatever.

Instead, he took pleasure in being guided through the dim, narrow streets by a beautiful girl.

In the last beams of the sun, he took in the details of her face. She had a button nose and sharply contoured lips. And he could not help but stare at her eyes. They reminded him of the winter honey they had stored in their kitchen back at his village. When the sun came through the window and cast light on the shelf, illuminating the preserving jars, it shone in the same color as the girl’s eyes. From now on, he would always associate her with this unique taste. It was so sweet and delicious that he along with other children would occasionally, tempted by the charm of the forbidden, dip a finger into a glass to savor it. Especially during the hard and long winters, these moments in the pantry warmed not only one’s throat but also the heart. And that it was not allowed made it taste all the better.

As they walked, Seryu told him the name of every street and every square they crossed. In her sweet voice that sounded like she had cinnamon in her mouth, the young woman also related some little anecdotes about what had happened at this or that spot or which historical events had taken place there. What a shame she is not a tourist guide but our enemy. The thought was a stab through his heart. He pictured a confrontation with her in battle. Not sure if he was able to fight her with all he got. It was a nuisance even to consider the possibility that her beautiful face and her slender body were covered with traces of a battle.

After only a short while – or at least Tatsumi had the feeling that it did not take this long – they came to a halt in front of the fountain.

“Here it is!” Seryu reported complacently. “I think this should be the place you wanted to go to. I don’t know another one that has a fountain.” Another good deed this day! She could hardly wait to share this with her comrades later that evening when they met in the conference room to give their reports.

Tatsumi was so captured by her bright smile and the two rows of white teeth, that for a moment he completely forgot what the actual reason for him being at this place was. Only when Seryu loosened her grip around the rookie assassin’s hand, he came back to reality.

He turned around, panicky searching for a clock. The local team! How late is it?! Okay, I am only ten minutes too late. Chances are high that they are still here!

In this moment, Seryu noticed the sword that was strapped across Tatsumi’s back.

“Oh, are you a swordsman?” Koro’s owner tilted her head to the side and closely inspected Tatsumi’s weapon. “This looks really good. The blade is sharp and straight. I can tell that the one who made it clearly knows his craft.” That was her professional statement.

Tatsumi became nervous what also stirred up the teigu’s hostile behavior. The thing could apparently perceive or smell his anxiety. I cannot go into detail. I cannot risk that she asks me more questions. With her background it is not out of the realm of the possible that she would become suspicious. He spontaneously decided to bethink of the original intention for his stay in the Capital.

“I came here to join the Imperial Army to earn money for my village.” he lied. Well, actually it was not a complete lie but more a half-truth.

The girl suddenly wore a strange expression on her face. Tatsumi’s guess was that it was shock. No, it was surprise. Her lips were slightly parted and her eyes wide open with raised brows. Could she tell from her teigu’s reaction that he was not one hundred percent honest with her? His hands became clammy of the fear that she was possibly able to suss out what his real story was.

Once again, Seryu took him by the hand and dragged him towards a wall that was decorated with posters – among others the not very flattering portraits of his comrades Akame, Bulat and Sheele. The chestnut-haired Jaeger pointed towards a very flamboyant one that hung resplendent in the middle. “Then you should not miss this opportunity!” She almost yelled at him, pointing at a poster with an fully outstretched arm.

“General Esdeath is holding this tournament in cooperation with the Prime Minister to find another member for our group. You even get the chance to obtain a teigu!”

“And I could work together with you.” Tatsumi regretted his words as soon as they had bubbled out of his mouth. He pressed his lips together to save himself from saying more silly things. But fortunately, the girl did not get what had been the motivation for this statement.

“Yes, with me and other five comrades! You could help us bringing about the change that this Empire needs and be a part of the side that gloriously rots out evil in the name of justice!” There it was again. The crazy glimmer sneaked into her eyes as it had before. It bestowed her with a somewhat dark aura and Tatsumi mused that it did actually suit her as well. But she is a Jaeger! he scolded himself mentally as this though crept into his mind.

“I have to leave now. I don’t want to disappoint my general. It is important for a good soldier to report in punctually. So, I would be glad to see you around!” She gave him a last friendly smile before she hastily waved him goodbye.

Her head was still turned towards the boy with the green eyes for the first few steps she ran. Carelessly, she dragged her little dog teigu along. The poor thing bounced up and down and hit the floor like a ping pong ball. Then, she was gone, vanished behind the black veil of the night.

Just when she was out of sight and Tatsumi couldn’t hear her footsteps any longer, the brunette was able to fully concentrate on his task again. He turned around and found the square emptied. Apparently, most people thought it was too dangerous outside once the sunlight was ultimately superseded by the artificial light of the lanterns. Therefore, everybody had retreated to their homes. The illuminated windows confirmed this.

Night Raid’s new member got an uneasy feeling. The air that was blown through the fissures in the brickwork of the surrounding houses and narrow alleys in between them produced a shrill, whistling noise. In this menacing situation, it sounded to Tatsumi like the howl of a hungry animal that was leering somewhere in the darkness until he came close enough to leap at him. Paralyzed, Tatsumi remained at the spot where Seryu had left him.

Suddenly, from farther away resounded the rattling of a cart. It kept coming closer and closer until Tatsumi beheld an excessively ornamented carriage that was making its way into the same direction in which Seryu had disappeared not too long ago. Its inside was dimly lit and he could make out the silhouette of a man. He was huge and bulky with a strange hairstyle. When the vehicle passed him by, he could see that the passenger was a high ranked soldier. He was wearing a crimson red cloak over his rather dark armor that seemed to be close to bursting as the material was hardly able to withstand the mass of muscles it was meant to protect. But the most striking feature was the impressive pair of gauntlets that peeped out from under the cloak.

For a split second, their eyes met and Tatsumi cringed when the blonde man’s strict eyes seemed to look right into his soul. He shuddered. Never before had he come across somebody whose mere expression radiated so much power and dominance.

“Tatsumi?” a female voice hit his ear and made him swirl around,shrieking. His heartbeat accelerated. He calmed down when he saw that it was only a girl. She was about his age, with pale blonde hair that covered her shoulders. Dressed rather unspectacularly – but that was to be expected from a member of a local team.

“I have some news I would like you to pass to our common friends.”

xXx

“Open the gates!”

The shout of a deep male voice could be heard all over the courtyard.

A split second later, the heavy iron gates that granted entrance to the Palace district were opened. Under roaring and clattering, the two plates were slowly lifted. Dozens of men began to move back and forth as the carriage passed the bridge and finally came through the opening in the middle of the massive wall.

The moment, the vehicle entered the straight path that led directly to the Palace’s front, a row of men stood to both sides of the road. Every single one had taken their helmet from their now lowered head, displaying their respect for the freshly arrived Great General. The carriage stopped in front of the Palace where a horde of personnel was already waiting to get into action.

As soon as the horses had calmed down, a young butler hurried to the carriage and extended the steps that were adjusted to the wagon to facilitate the getting out. A young girl positioned herself next to the carriage’s door and opened an umbrella to give shelter from the rain. She held her breath when the handle was pushed down and the door opened and Great General Budo appeared in all his glory. With a grim face and a wave of his hand, he dismissed the girl. She swallowed and ran away, positioning herself behind the rest of the servants that had come to welcome their master. With heavy steps, he made his way to the wooden doors that led inside the Palace.

There, he recognized a familiar face: the one of his lieutenant. Kester was in his early thirties but had maintained a youthful look that was certainly because of the strong expression that came from his steel-grey eyes. His face was smooth. The skin was lightly tanned from the many hours he spent outside on the training grounds, especially during the periods of Budo’s absence that had become more and more frequent since the Prime Minister’s influence had grown. The soft features of his face exuded a pleasant sense of calm. However, this did not threaten the authority he held. Kester was at least as well-respected as Budo himself; not least because he had eagerly embraced his superior’s teachings, and thus treated the ones that served under him with a high degree of respect.

“Great General. In the name of your entire troops, I can say that we are glad to have you back again.”

Kester knelt down. He rose when Budo laid one of his pranks on his shoulder. Without the general’s invitation, the man knew what was expected of him. He let his superior walk some steps ahead and then helped him to take his cape off which he then handed over to a maid.

“The tensions have been growing since Esdeath came back from her campaign in the North.” Kester stated.

Budo ran both of his hands though his hair and stopped them at his temples where he began to move them in circular motions. “That was to be expected. The shit changes, the flies stay the same.” he mumbled.

“Not exactly: She has formed a new group of teigu wielders that are exclusively under her command. And of course, she has Honest’s full support.” Some of the members seem to be quite reasonable – others don’t.”

“It suits that brat to surround herself with a group of questionable characters.” He sighed. “Do we know anything about them?” Budo asked dryly.

“Stylish is among them.” Kester said. It was not difficult to tell from the way he was pronouncing the name that only with a lot of self-conquest he was able to bring himself to say it at all.

“HA!” Budo answered with a cynical laugh. “The Drug Lord!” he added scornfully.

Kester rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Exactly that one.” He paused and then resumed his report. He did not want to ruin his general’s day – which was not a too difficult task as Budo was known for his fluctuating moods – and thus decided to tell him about the one person whose impression had been of a positive nature.

“There’s also a young man that served under Admiral Lagadec in the Imperial Navy.”

“Lagadec?” Budo asked, his tone softer than usual and his lips curled up in a reluctant smile. “My, my. He hasn’t ever mentioned he had a crew member that was compatible with a teigu. That’s just like him. That wily old dog.” He scoffed lightly and shook his head.

“According to what one hears in the Palace, he was even his rear admiral. An impressive career considering that he has just reached adulthood.” the shorter man proudly disclosed to his general.

Budo gave him a look that was a mixture between amusement and disapproval. “It seems to me like you haven’t been too busy with work lately, finding time to join the gossipmongers.”

Kester was taken aback by this comment. “Sir, please, I… I…” he stammered. His face went red like a beetroot from the shame.

Budo chuckled. He always enjoyed using his lieutenant’s incompatibility with humor for his own amusement. When would he finally realize that he was just winding him up with this type of comments?

The remembrance of another factor, however, strained his mood again. His usual grumpy expression returned to his face.

“The Three Beasts? I assume she brought her pets along as well?” He used a ponderous tone of his voice.

The Great General was pre-eminently thinking of ex general Liver. He could not grasp how a man of his rank and position could sink so low as to crawl before a young woman only because he took pleasure in the vulgar display of her physical attributes. No matter in what high esteem he held the man’s past accomplishments, nowadays he could not see anything else in him but an old lecher.

And the other two members? A beefcake that was hardly able to write its own name and a child with a sick and twisted idea of ‘art’. Besides, this kid had one of those grating voices that got on his nerves. His nostrils widened at the thought of it.

However, they had proven to be very efficient employees for the kind of task that were rather carried out in an unofficial manner - for Budo only one more reason to detest them. He was more a fan of fair trials and proper investigations which was a quality he shared with Admiral Lagadec.

The lieutenant only nodded to confirm the presence of the Three Beasts. Budo was now a powder keg and he was damned if he was the spark to light its fuse. Having spent so much time in his division, Kester could see when Budo was consumed by the anger that arose from his mind’s workings. It was better to drop the subject for today and talk about it again when the Great General was recovered from his journey.

When they reached the door to Kester’s room, Budo nodded.

“That’s enough for today. We will talk tomorrow again.” Apparently they shared this opinion.

The lieutenant formally said his goodbyes and disappeared behind the door.

Now, the Great General was alone.

He passed the seemingly endless halls that were hung with huge paintings of larger-than-life personalities that had done great deeds. There were also some smaller ones that mainly served the purpose of filling the gaps in between the others. They usually showed scenes of the bible or ancient works of literature. The lifeless eyes produced a feeling of uneasiness in the blonde man’s chest. He was familiar with the faces that seemed to follow him on his way to his chambers - especially well the one of his father and grandfather who had both preceded him in the position of the Empire’s Great General. Being exposed to their critical looks day by day let him never forget what his duty and the reason for his existence was: protect the Emperor’s family and the people of his country.

It was sad reality that this was the only sense he had in life. He had no children that would one day inherit his position and carry on his legacy. Therefore, making a name for himself by serving the Empire and thus being mentioned in the history books was his only way that his proud family was not consigned to oblivion. The burden that he carried along with his name was one of the two reasons why he hadn’t left the Capital and the Palace decades ago, the place where everything reminded him of her. The one woman he had ever let into his heart and whose love had been condemned to never happen the moment their paths had crossed. The second reason that bound him to his position was that he would honor the pledge he had given exactly this woman – come what may, he would protect her son to keep a part of her alive.

xXx

Esdeath and the Prime Minister had watched Budo’s arrival from a room in the Palace’s middle ward. She had joined Honest on his bountiful table.

Whereas the obese man ate one chicken after another, resembling a snake that gulped its prey, Esdeath had decided to simply have a glass of red wine. After only a couple of minutes, she could not stand the sight of the Prime Minister any longer.

He was an important figure for her because due to his firm grip around the Empire’s political system, she was free to rage and murder on the battlefields. But that did not make her immune to the nausea that kept building up in her stomach whenever she watched his extreme lack of table manners.

The grease of the meat was running down his chin and chubby fingers alike. Some of the drops were absorbed by his untrimmed beard. Under his finger nails were dark rings. Esdeath guessed that these were also remnants of bygone meals. Little croutons of half-munched food flew through the air when he was speaking with his full mouth. Repulsed, Esdeath averted her eyes.

If he wasn’t that important for her plan to rot out all the weaklings, she would welcome him with open arms to her torture chambers. There were some cute little carnivorous bugs one of her subordinates had brought along from the South. The little beasts would certainly be delighted with the layers of fat and meat they could eat their way through. And she would be pleased to hear another tone in his voice than this smug grunting.

“The old geezer is back.” She observed while staring out of the window, nipping somewhat absentmindedly on her wine. The woman savored the taste for a moment before she swallowed it.

The Minister wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. A trail of saliva remained on the skin. He resumed his meal by peeling an egg. “This has given me sleepless nights for the last few weeks.”

“You have successfully kept him away from the Palace a couple of times. Why not now again?” Esdeath said.

Honest pushed the hard-boiled egg into his mouth. After a little chewing, he swallowed the substance and hit his throat to make it sink down his gullet. This action could not prevent him from choking on it. When he coughed loudly, a slimy chunk landed on his beard. “I fear that this would have the opposite effect of what I want to achieve.”

“You know that he is a massive threat for our plans with the Path of Peace, don’t you?” Esdeath remarked sharply.

“We have to wait and see. His repeated absence has caused the plebs to feel insecure. Also your little jolly group could not soothe them. They fear for their safety. Their beloved Great General gives them security – and that makes them easier to control.” Honest smiled devilishly. “I do not see any necessity in sending him away anytime soon. I have successfully driven a wedge between the Emperor and him. There’s no need to fear the child would give more weight to his word than mine. We should use Budo’s positive effect on the mob to our advantage.”

“You mean giving him the same function as Lagadec?” Esdeath was skeptical.

The Prime Minister thought for a while. “Similar, yes. But Lagadec is our key to the coast. He holds these uncivilized creatures under control.” He laughed out loudly and took a gulp from his ale pot. “But it is only a matter of time that we should… well… change the military’s structures a little bit. The Navy does not leave a margin. This is a problem.” His look became somber. It was accompanied by a demonic aura. “And when an arm itches and scratching does not help anymore, there is no other option but to get rid of it.” When he smiled, Esdeath saw the remains of the food covering his interdental spaces. “It was a smart move to recruit his young rear admiral for your special police force.”

“He is really promising: A young man of exceptional strength and downright naivety. If we use him well, he certainly has the potential to become a key figure in the upcoming war. I will make personally sure that he receives the training he needs to become an ultimate weapon in our fight against Night Raid.”

“I leave these things to you, General Esdeath.” The Prime Minister burped. Soon afterwards, the smell of meat, sausage and garlic hung in the room. Esdeath was used to bad odours, but still wrinkled her nose and breathed through her mouth. I need him. She reminded herself.

“Speaking of the areas of your responsibility. Can I assume that all the necessary preparations were made for tomorrow?” the Prime Minister asked in amusement.

“You can. I have ordered two of the Jaegers to stay close by our little bait. There is no way that Najenda would not send her people.”

“Two? Did I hear that correctly?” he enquired.

“You did. Believe me. One of them is as good as 10 warriors.” Esdeath smiled knowingly.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. “Come in!” Honest said in a slightly irritated voice. He would have preferred to hear more about this member of her group.

Esdeath’s eyes narrowed when she saw Wave and Seryu. “What are you two doing here?!” he asked blatantly. Both people were intimidated by this harsh treatment.

Wave finally cleared his throat and stepped closer to his superior, one arm behind his back, the other on his chest. “We are here to report in, General.” he reminded her. “Oh, yeah. That.” Esdeath rolled her eyes. “Is there anything you consider worth mentioning or would you mind no longer wasting my time?” Her voice remained saucy.

Wave swallowed. “No.” Instinctively, he made a step backwards.

Esdeath’s eyes darted to Seryu. “NO!” she almost screamed in her usual enthusiasm. Her adoration of her general made her blind for the hostility.

“In that case, you are dismissed.” The general turned around. It was obvious that she did not wish for any further interruptions.

Wave and Seryu exchanged looks. Then, they prepared themselves to leave. The raven-haired young man had already left the room, when Seryu felt a hand grabbing her shoulder. She shrieked under the touch. The force of the hand made her swing around and her eyes looked into another pair with black scleras and blue pupils that were only a hair’s breadth away from her face. As if the eyes were not scary enough, the girl had to find that they belonged to a muscular, tall man with a bare torso. On his face and his body alike were marks that looked like he had been stitched together. Under his aquiline nose arose a lecherous smile. His unnaturally long tongue pierced through his rubbery lips.

“What a beauty you are!” Seryu felt at a loss. What should she do? That the man was in this room must mean that he belonged to either Esdeath or the Prime Minister. She freed herself from the touch without showing any signs of intimidation. Her eyes were brimming with pugnacity. Seryu felt the nerves in her arm twitch under the wish to punch him right onto the straight back of his nose.

“Oooh, she is strong and unruly! I like my women like this!” The man’s voice reminded her of the sounds of the hyenas she had seen at the zoo.

“Oh. Reminds me that you haven’t been introduced so far.” The Prime Minister snapped his finger and two other people stepped out of the darkness and into a light beam: a girl in her teens with strikingly green eyes and tanned skin, and another man whose eyes were at least as unusual as the ones of the giant in front of her. He was bald but the messy hair of his beard pointed into all wind directions at the same time.

“These are my personal bodyguards, the Rakshasa Demons. Actually, there are actually four of them but I gave one to my son.”

“So? I have asked myself all the time whose eyes were watching us. The best the Imperial Fist has to offer. No surprise my subordinates did not take notice of them.” Esdeath said, emptying her glass and putting it on the massive wooden table that stood in between her and Honest.

Seryu made a step forward. Surprised to find them being without a teigu. “But how can they protect you, Minister, if they don’t have imperial arms?” she uttered.

Hardly had she verbalized her question, was she caught in a tight grip of the man that had approached her before. The movement had been so sudden and quick, that not even Seryu, who was a martial arts specialist herself, had not seen it coming. The man had extended his arms with such speed that the bare eye could hardly perceive it. And now, he was holding the young woman in a tight grip. Her eyes widened in shock as she found herself unable to escape the attack. Every movement tightened the embrace. She wanted to scream and tell Koro to attack, but the hand that was pressed to her mouth made it impossible. The girl gritted her teeth up to the point her jaws started to ache. Seryu was close to crying out of anger. How could he dare to humiliate her in front of her general?! Besides, she was starting to feel nauseous when she felt him huffing into her ear. His nasty breath created an irksome warm wetness on the skin of her neck.

“We don’t need these toys.” The tall man laughed hysterically. “Our bodies are equally efficient and deadly.”

From the corner of her eye, as far as her position allowed her to, she saw how his serpent-like tongue kept coming closer, getting ready to taste her neck.

“Hmpfhmpf” she squirmed and a suffocated noise ran through the fingers on her mouth.

The man’s smile died the instant he felt the pressure of a cold, piercing object against his neck.

“Don’t you dare laying a hand on any of my subordinates.” Esdeath had grown an icicle from the palm of her hand and kept warningly looking into the man’s weird eyes. It was not up for discussion that she would not hesitate to let the ice grow if he did not mind her warning.

“There, there, Ibara! Don’t you scare our guests!” the Minister chuckled, his fat belly was set into motion by the sound.

Ibara loosened his grip around Seryu and attempted to pat her head, but she made it in time to evade his hand with a swift sideward movement.

“Just fooling around!” he exclaimed in a shrill tone and giggled creepily.

Still focused on the chestnut-haired Jaeger girl, he wetted his lips with a thorough swirl of his pointed long tongue that afterwards was hanging from the corner of his mouth like a dog would have done it.

Wave, who had witnessed the whole scene from the corridor, dared to come inside again and dragged Seryu with him as he once more passed the threshold.

“General. Prime Minister Honest.” He nodded and closed the door behind him.

“Seryu, are you all-“

He winced when he saw the look on his comrade’s face. It was not dark. It was not simply frightful. It was terrifying! Her smooth, round features were distorted and she kept fixating a spot on the floor, eyes filled with hate, fists clenched tightly. She was presenting her teeth like a rabid dog. Maybe it was only the action of light, but he swore that her fangs had grown longer.

Also Koro had changed. The little fellow’s snow white color was changing into a dark brown shade and its look radiated anger. Wave rushed over to the girl and squeezed her wrists, making her hands relax again. In the candlelight that lit the corridor, he saw that she had dug her fingernails so deeply into her flesh that she was now bleeding a little.

xXx

Midnight came and went.

The dice had been cast. They had decided not to let the chance pass by.

Najenda wasn’t born yesterday and had directly uttered the suspicion that this was a trap. But under a smile, she had also declared that they would do their best to turn the tables and show Esdeath that she should not underestimate Night Raid.

With the help of their well-organized network, the local team had gleaned valuable information from a local butcher. He had received an order to prepare the catering for a family picnic for one of Honest’s closest allies. The picnic would take place on a glade on the Capital’s outskirts. The dense woods that surrounded the meadow provided the perfect conditions for a successful mission.

Najenda had ordered Chelsea, Lubbock, Leone and Bulat to take care of this matter. Whereas Leone and Bulat would directly launch their attacks, Lubbock and Chelsea were supposed to stay in the background to attack if necessary from a covered position. As always, Gwenn would complete the team in case someone was so severely injured that immediate treatment was needed.

Thanks to Bulat, Tatsumi also tagged along. His self-proclaimed mentor saw this as an ideal opportunity to show the boy the more practical side of an assassin’s job. They had gone through theory and practice fir long enough. Bulat had told him to stay in hidden and not interfere at all costs – that was the crux of the matter. What Tatsumi didn’t know was that this would serve another purpose as well.

“You want to know if he is capable of eradicating his moral entanglements. Am I right, Aniki?” Gwenn grinned at her friend as she prepared a box with medical equipment.

Bulat was leaning with his hips against the windowsill, arms folded in front of his chest. “You know me all too well, cutie.” He grinned all over his face. “I have a feeling that this boy has lots of potential.”

“Hmm. When you say so.” Gwenn added some knives and pincers to the equipment. “I had the impression that he is still wet behind the ears. Don’t forget, he originally came to the Capital to join the Imperial Army. I doubt that he has already fully grasped the state of the Capital or the dark sides that are connected to this job.” the medic assessed.

“Bear with him! He has progressed immensely since I have been training him. Also I am convinced he has the right disposition.” Bulat responded.

“Did you tell him about the child?” Gwenn asked bluntly. Looking at him, one eyebrow raised in an accusative manner.

Bulat fell quiet. _She really knows me_.The One-Hundred-Man-Slayer thought to himself. A bitter smile was on his face. He quickly exchanged it with his usual upbeat expression and gave himself a push away from the windowsill and walked towards the door.

“Seems like we’re ready to leave. I better get my stuff prepared as well.” He laughed. In the same instant, Leone’s voice resounded, reminding Bulat that it was indeed time to head off to the place where everything would happen. Gwenn looked at him. He wanted to avoid the topic.

“Take care of you and come back in one piece.” she almost whispered, her voice calm and loving.

Bulat scoffed while embracing her tightly. “Please! Like I would ever cause you extra work!” He rubbed her head and waved his hand as he was halfway through the door. “See ya, sweetheart!”

The young medic focused on her preparations again as soon as the tall man was gone – but took a quick look into the mirror to adjust the hair that had escaped her braided hairstyle during Bulat’s assault on her head.

Other than her five comrades, she did not need to make preparations around the assassination area and would thus march out a little bit later. Hopefully, she was able to avoid the scorching heat that her pale skin feared so much.

About the same time, Kurome and Bols were waiting outside of the official’s house they were supposed to guard today. The girl, as usual, did not care about anything besides her snacks. She did not even take notice of the scared looks on the personnel's faces when they saw the masked man standing next to her.

“Minister-saaan!” he yelled and waved enthusiastically into the direction of the man that was just about to leave his house, his voice a little bit muffled by the cloth that covered his face. “Over heeere!” The Jaeger pointed towards the ground.

When the minister’s 13-year old daughter directed her attention towards Bols, she started to scream shrilly and stepped behind her mother. The woman instantly reprimanded her.

“Lucille, don’t you be so impolite! These two people make sure that no bad bad guys come and interrupt our family picnic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Now, Budo is also back in the Capital. He will play a crucial role in the story and thus gets more background information in future chapters. Also his lieutenant, Kester, serves the purpose to give one of the Night Raid members a little bit more history – but I will not yet say who it is.
> 
> Furthermore, the Rakshasa Demons appeared. As you have noticed, in this story, they are not a group of assassins, but the PM's personal squad of bodyguards. I guess the one who will get the biggest role is Suzuka. In the course of the story, she will have some interaction with Syura that is inspired by the little moments they had in the manga. I am personally looking forward to writing this and I hope that there are some people who are keen on reading about them :)
> 
> Originally, I had intended to completely incorporate the first confrontation between Night Raid and the Jaegers in this chapter. But then it would be too big a difference in the number of words. So stay tuned as this is the main course of action for the upcoming chapter! And keep in mind: in the anime/manga, their first encounter claimed some victims!


	3. Elegy Written on a Meadow

Food. As far as they eye could see: food.

It was invitingly served on silver plates and the aromas mixed with the scent of the grass that had already been dried by the scorching heat. There were some very simple things such as sandwiches, but also more exotic dishes like a variety of curries. The family had even brought their personal cook along who was preparing omelet and pancakes whose smell was the most intensive of all.

Bols and Kurome were positioned apart from the buoyant ado. Each one of them was in charge of one side of the meadow, closely checking the woods for possible intruders. Bols was heavily sweating under his mask, but as a former member of the incineration squad, he did not mind the heat and contented himself with occasionally wiping away the sweat drops that were running down his neck.

For Kurome, it was the delicious perfume of the bacon that was sizzling in the pan and the melted butter that made it extremely hard for her to remain offside and not to come closer. The raven-haired girl swallowed a couple of times when her saliva production was animated by the visual and olfactory stimulus. In an attempt to quell the ever growing temptation, she started to look around and eye her surroundings closely. Her eyes wandered to the minister’s daughter where they rested for a while. The teen was wearing a light green dress with so many frills that she looked even fatter than she already was. The girl’s long, dark hair was done in a flashy way that matched the rest of her flamboyant style, but that was neither doing much for her. Greedily, the girl loaded her plate and began to shove multiple pieces at once into her mouth. She chewed forcefully to masticate the load of food. Then, suddenly, she stopped and spit the mash next to her onto the ground.

“Eeeewww! I don’t want to eat that! I can taste that it is not fresh!” she exclaimed, throwing the plate towards her mother.

The woman tried to soothe her daughter. “But Lucille, darling, these were prepared only this morning.”

The brat pouted and turned her back to the elder woman.

Kurome, who had witnessed the scene from her shady place at the end of the meadow, where the first trees seamed the grass plain, felt nothing but disdain for this girl. With a blank expression, she looked over to the family. Involuntarily, the youngest Jaeger remembered what she and her beloved sister had to go through. What they had to eat back then only to stay alive.

_“Kurome, please! You haven’t eaten something for days now!” Akame pleaded. It had been raining since they departed into the woods, which made it impossible to light a fire as all the potential firewood had become wet. And they did not have the time to let it dry because they had to move on. Their survival depended on it._

_“I want to… b-but I can’t…” Kurome sobbed, thick tears leaking from her dark eyes. She looked at the rat in her hand, beheld how it squirmed and squealed in an attempt to break free from her grip. Kurome could even feel its accelerated heart beating against the palm of her hand._

_“I can’t kill it…” the girl whined and loosened the grip around the warm animal. The moment, the rat felt the resistance fading, it took its chance and bit the girl’s soft skin, whereupon Kurome instantaneously let go of it. “Aaaahhhh!” A sharp scream of shock escaped her lips. In the same moment, the rat hastily disappeared into the dark depths of the cave. Crying, Kurome shook her hand to lessen the impact of the rat’s teeth and rubbed the spot where the imprints of the rat’s teeth could still be seen._

_Akame looked at her sister with a pained expression. One could count the bones of her ribcage and Akame could tell that the lack of food had already taken a toll on her sister’s condition._

_“Please, Kurome. It’s part of this exam.” With a creaking sound and a determined, quick movement, she broke the neck of the rat she was holding in her own hands and offered it to her younger sister. The shorter girl’s lips were shaking and sobs made her body twitch._

_“Please…” Akame whispered and made an inviting movement with the hand that was holding the dead animal whose head kept dangling to and fro as she moved._

_Kurome swallowed down her tears, and with a shaking hand, she took it, feeling the ragged fur of the dead but still warm body. Her black eyes met her sister’s red ones. Akame nodded encouragingly. The young girl shut her eyes and dug her teeth into the rat’s body. Then, she tore out a piece of flesh and felt the warm blood escaping through the corners of her mouth and dripping down her chin, some drops landing on her bare legs. She did her best to subdue the feeling of nausea that overcame her the moment she smelt and tasted the metallic blood._

Now, the petite teenage girl could only smile faintly at the memory of this incident. It was the first time she had come into contact with blood – back then, not knowing that this would become her everyday business. But luckily, Kurome had gotten used to the smell and taste of this dark red substance pretty quickly, so she could do a good job - similar to a painter who would not mind the sharp and biting effects of paint thinner after a while. All that counted at the end of the day was to do a good job. That was what gave her life its meaning. Bearing this thought in mind, she dauntlessly shoved her hand into her cookie bag, took out some sweets and ate them quickly.

xXx

A certain distance away, Lubbock was scanning the scene on the meadow through binoculars. He had already spread his threads that had told him the approximate number of people that were surrounding their target. Now, the visual component validated Cross Tail’s information.

“As assumed, there are ten bodyguards and two of Esdeath’s Jaegers.” He sighed and let the binoculars disappear in one of his coat’s large pockets. Due to the heat, the young man had tied his coat around his hips. “Man, if only Mine wasn’t such a stubborn person and hadn’t overdone it during her last job! That would have spared us this pain in the ass of an offensive attack!”

“True. As good a sniper she may be, her tiny body has a hard time to take the force of Pumpkin’s shots.” Chelsea asserted, thus repeating what Gwenn had diagnosed after Mine’s last mission in which the pink-haired girl had suffered considerable damage and had to go easy on her shoulder for the next weeks.

Leone grinned and patted her younger comrade heavily on the back, so that Lubbock stumbled two steps forward. “Hey, hey! Leave it to me and Bulat!” The blonde crackled her knuckles. “This is nothing for us, right?” Her yellow eyes were directed towards the muscular man who gave her a shiny smile in response. “We’ll sneak up on them and get the job done, and if there is any need for it, we have you three as backup as well as Gwenn who will doctor us up.” The busty girl smiled with one of her fangs coming out from between her lips which only emphasized her feline nature.

“But…” Tatsumi began, looking at the ground “… shouldn’t we try to take down the Jaegers first?” he timidly asked.

“Silly boy!” Chelsea said in a slightly dismissive tone and snorted. “We are assassins. We have to make sure to carry out our assignment first!” She swung her long, auburn hair to the side while stemming one fist into her hip. Thereby, she was smiling sweetly into Lubbock’s direction as if she was demanding his approval.

Tatsumi gave her a partly irritated, partly sulky look.

When Lubbock saw his friend’s reaction, he crossed his arms behind his head and looked up into the sky before he started to elaborate on the topic. “If we attack the bodyguards and the Jaegers first, the targets have enough time to get away. A risk we should definitely not take… Besides, a confrontation with the Jaegers is in any case unavoidable.”

The brunette thought about the bookseller’s words for a second. He had to admit that it was reasonable what Lubbock had just explained. But this could not prevent his heart from becoming heavier. In this very moment, the boy realized the gravity of the situation. The Jaegers were a group of teigu users and just as determined as Night Raid to fight for their cause. He also thought of the girl he had just recently met.

_Seryu._

She was so nice, so sweet – so _human._ Tatsumi could hardly imagine that she was quintessentially evil. Destiny had led her towards the path to fight for the Empire, just like it had been his fate to encounter Night Raid on this fateful night. The Jaegers were humans with a more or less reasonable motivation to fight for what they believed in. Tatsumi’s jaw tightened as he pressed his teeth together.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt Bulat’s paw on his shoulder.

“Tatsumi.” The man’s voice sounded stern. “Are you okay?” Bulat had felt how the doubts were clouding Tatsumi’s head, distracting his young comrade from their aim. The older man knew this feeling very well. He could still remember the times when he had been in a similar state – one time when he had turned his back on the Empire, and a second time when he had to kill people for Night Raid he had been working with only weeks before. Therefore, he knew that he could not allow his young comrade to immerse himself into this topic. Tatsumi did not already possess the necessary mental strength to cope with these thoughts during a mission.

“You need to focus on the task lying ahead.” he whispered into Tatsumi’s ear, making sure that the others, currently discussing the strategy for their attack, could not hear them.

The boy pressed his lips together, inhaled deeply through his nose, and then looked into Bulat’s eyes determinedly. “I will not disappoint you, Aniki!” he promised.

The tall man nodded slowly and patted the youth’s shoulder in an encouraging manner.

xXx

The minister’s bodyguards were positioned in a circle around their master and his family.

Every now and then, Kurome eyed them as well. When her assassination training had taught her one thing, it was not to trust anyone. She knew that the association her beloved sister had joined was an opponent she should not underestimate. Thus, it was in the realm of the possible that one of the people that were currently guarding the minister could be Night Raid’s ally. The little girl looked at one after another, thereby studying their faces, countenance and body language meticulously in search of any possible hint that they were brooding over the best way and point of time to getting the assault done.

They were all wearing the same armor: simple, silver constructions without helmets. None of the men showed any sign of being effected by the heat despite the sweat that was running down their temples.

Then, in the very second she was about to direct her attention away from the bodyguards to check on the surrounding woods, something caught her attention. She saw it from the corner of her eye while she was turning her head into another direction: One of the bodyguards had tied his hair back in a thin ponytail that was resting on his shoulder. It was completely windless that day – there was not even a single breeze that would lessen the heat, and still, the ponytail suddenly moved as if it had been struck by a wisp of wind, as if the headwind of a quickly bypassing carriage had stirred it.

It took Kurome only a split second to put one and one together. Her pupils shrunk up when she realized what was going on.

“THEY’RE HERE!!!” she yelled while shooting into the minister’s direction. Thanks to the drugs, her reaction time had been strongly increased and every muscle in her body was tensed up. With a leap, she abandoned her position and like lightning, she rushed towards the place where the guard with the ponytail was standing. In the middle of her movement, she raised Yatsufusa over her head and summoned four of her puppets: Wall, Henter, Rokugoh and Apeman.

In the same second, the guard, whose ponytail had given the presence of the invisible Bulat away, was falling to the ground. A blood fountain was escaping from his throat. The cut had been so deep that his head was hanging to the side as there was only a thin piece of skin at the neck that kept it connected to the body. The man’s eyes were still alive somehow and mirrored the surprise that he must have been feeling when he had taken notice of the cold steel that had taken away his life.

Despite Kurome’s speed, she could not make it in time to spare four other bodyguards the same fate. Bulat, who was still taking advantage of his teigu’s trump card, delivered cut after cut whereas the puppets of Yatsufusa were still crawling from their tombs into the sunshine. Each of the Hundred-Man-Slayer’s attacks did not miss the intended effect and so, it was only a matter of seconds before a mist of blood covered the yellow-green grass.

Without further hesitation, Bols as well came running from his position and activated Rubicante when the killing had begun. He enclosed himself together with the minister and his family in a ring of fire, hoping and inwardly praying that none of the assassins would be able to penetrate the circle. As the flames kept rising higher and higher into the sky, the minister’s wife embraced their daughter tightly, both women screaming for help under sobs. The minister himself fell to his knees and began to shake. He grabbed Bols’ pants and looked up to the masked man with an expression of desperation on his face. The man’s lips trembled and he could only with a certain effort get the plea through them:

“Please, save us! I am begging you! Save me and my family! I give you anything you want, just please protect us!”

Bols, who had now exchanged his softness for the merciless killing intent of a soldier, did not take notice of the man. With a quick movement, he shook the hand off and freed him from the minister’s grip, thereby not looking away from the fiery wall he was busy to tighten around them. When he was sure that the fire would keep burning for long enough, he stepped out of the flames. Years and years of training and experience had made it possible for him to work very efficiently with his teigu, and one of the techniques he found the most convenient was that he could control the flames. Thus, with a slight movement of his hand, he divided the flames just like the Red Sea had been crossed for Moses and his people. As soon as he was no longer inside the circle, the slit closed again to make sure that the three people were in safety for now.

“Kurome-chan! Come here and do not leave my side!” Bols ordered the young girl and therefore earned a confused look from her. Nevertheless, Kurome did as she was told and positioned herself along with her puppets behind Bols. She understood that she had to hold back until the imminent danger which was the invisible foe was eliminated. Incursio’s wielder was an exceptional warrior in more than one way. No matter how hard Kurome tried, she could not make out his presence or sense his movements. Attacking him blindly would most likely result in the loss of her puppets.

By now, only three bodyguards were left and how much Bols hated the idea, the former member of the Incineration Squad knew that he had to use them for the purpose of making a good job and not fail Esdeath. There was no space for contemplation. They had to act immediately. Under his mask, he formed his eyes to slits and looked at the men that were running and swirling around like a beheaded chicken as they started vain attempts to land a blow on the invisible threat that had already cost their colleagues’ lives. From their blunt movements, the experienced warrior could tell that these poor devils were no match for the opponent they were facing.

Therefore, it was only a matter of time before Bulat’s spear divided another skull. As soon as Bols saw the blood spurting from the attacked man’s head, he directed his weapon towards the area where the attack was taking place and used his teigu’s full power. While doing so, he witnessed with disgust how an invisible blade separated the upper section of the head from the rest of the skull by drawing a clear line underneath the man’s eyes. When the piece of bone fell down, Rubicante’s flames were burning so hot that Kurome could watch the tips of her hair curling up under the almost unbearable heat.

Only a few seconds afterwards, most of the meadow had become a fiery pit. Fortunately, Rubicante’s flames had no will of their own. Thanks to this, Bols was able to keep the flames from effecting more vegetation than necessary, and thus prevent a wildfire which had certainly would have been deadly for the village that was closest to the green strip that was now serving as battlefield.

Leone was standing on a branch in a treetop, watching the scene with clenched teeth. She knew that she would have to join the party very soon. They had definitely underestimated the effects the drugs had on Akame’s sister. Who would have thought that she possessed such an almost superhuman perception? Leone looked up into the sky and saw the smog that was rising from the meadow underneath her. Even though Rubicante’s fire did not spread, it was still burning which meant that it would not cease to produce more thick dark clouds.

 _This is bad._ She thought and her face wore a skeptical expression. The woman knew that this would most likely alarm reinforcements. Thus, time was not really on their side. If they wanted to succeed, they had to act quickly. However, before she could face the enemy in a direct confrontation, she first had to figure out how to maneuver in order to avoid the flames and get through to either the Jaegers or their target in the quickest way possible.

Her slit-like pupils narrowed when Bulat’s grunt hit her ears. The blonde saw how Incursio’s silhouette became visible through the inferno her comrade was being caught in. Through the flames, Leone could make out that Incursio’s armor was glowing in a bright orange-red color. This was obviously the result of the temperature it was just being exposed to. She could also see that Bulat hunched because of the heat.

She had no other choice. She had to attack - no matter how reckless this action was. To her advantage, Kurome seemed to be weakened by the flamethrower’s effects as well. Thanks to Lionelle, the blond woman could feel the strain on the girl’s body: she sensed that her respiration was flat and that her organism had to work with all it got in order to not let her succumb to the wave of heat. The girl could barely stand or keep her eyes open.

Without further hesitation, she jumped down the branch and directly launched an attack against Bols. When Rubicante’s wielder sensed her flying towards him, he became inattentive for a few seconds. This negligence found its expression in the fact that the pressure which Bols’ fingers were exerting on the teigu’s trigger lessened and therewith the intensity of the flames decreased. Bulat used this moment to his advantage and rolled to the side, away from the fire. Panting and coughing, he used Neuntote to get onto his feet again.

Simultaneously, Leone landed a hard punch on Bols’ chest what sent the bulky man flying to the side. Just in time, the beast-like woman could evade Kurome’s sharp blade by contorting her body while still in the air. Nevertheless, as soon as her feet hit the ground, she felt a stinging pain in her heels that at once spread through her whole legs. She let out a sharp hiss as she fell to the ground when her feet could no longer keep up their function. Now, she realized that the brat had cut her sinews. Kurome giggled creepily as she bowed over Leone, her lips curled in a mischievous smile, her eyes wide open and without any glimpse of emotion.

“You are underestimating me…” she stated and Leone could pick out a nuance of irritation from the high frequency in which the girl was speaking. “I… I…” Kurome started to breath heavily and the blonde could feel how the girl’s blood pressure became stronger as her anger was rising. “I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE DO THIS!” The raven-haired teen yelled through her teeth. Kurome’s right eye began to twitch and she slapped her own head. After that, she enclosed Yatsufusa’s hilt with both of her hands and positioned the blade over the spot where Leone’s heart was. The girl lifted the sword over her head and with a monstrous sound escaping her throat, she swung it down.

Before the sharp tip of the katana could penetrate through Leone’s skin, the Night Raid member jumped onto her feet, got behind the petite girl, and rammed her elbow into her lower back. Accompanied by a shrill scream of pain, Kurome fell onto her knees. Leone had used the time which Kurome had invested in her psychopathic behavior to regenerate her sinews. The busty woman was preparing herself to deliver Kurome some fatal punches and thus to eliminate her, when the girl’s voice echoed through the area again.

“ATTACK!” the youngest Jaeger growled, and at once, the puppets that had been standing there motionlessly during the exhaustion of their user’s body, focused on Leone.

Apeman, who was closest to Leone, swept her away and made it thereby impossible for her to launch another attack at Kurome. The monster had swung one of its long arms around her and threw her forcefully onto the dried grass. For an instant, Leone could not breathe. When her back hit the ground, the impact seemed to press all air out of her lungs. Gasping, she lay there and could not fight off the ape that grabbed her by her throat to lift her up. With two leaps, the puppet had reached the end of the meadow and crushed Leone against a tree-trunk - all without loosening its grip for only one second as it was attempting to choke her.

When Leone had overcome the first shock and the pain began to cease, she seized its wrists with her paws and dug her claws into its flesh. Unimpressed, the puppet continued its procedure and Leone felt how her face was beginning to burn. At the same time, her sight was slowly becoming blurry from the lack of oxygen. The woman gritted her teeth and with all the power she could find, she pressed both of her paws together until she heard a creaking sound and felt something break under her touch. A second later, the monster let go of her. Its hands were loosely hanging at the end of its arms. The bones had been completely crushed by the brutal power Lionelle equipped its wielder with.

Leone did not waste another moment. She composed herself completely and took the ape by one of its arms. Like it was nothing, she swung it into the air and crashed it down onto the ground. Leone repeated this a few times. Like she was swinging a hammer, she threw her victim from left to right and to the left again in order to break more of its bones. When the creature did not show a high degree of resistance anymore, and was lying to her feet, she straddled it and covered its head with the palm of her beast-like hand. It was only a matter of time before the skull began to break and she squeezed it together like a lemon, spilling its blood over the dried grass and leaving it in a dark red paddle.

In the meantime, Bols had digested Leone’s punch as well as its aftermath. He was on his feet again engaged in a fight with Bulat. At the moment, the two men were at a similar level due to the damage they both had already taken but the difference in strength was becoming more and more evident with each minute Incurio’s armor was cooling down further. The Jaeger had a tough time keeping Bulat away from the ring of fire that was still protecting the minister and his family from the assassins. Not knowing that this gesture would tell Bulat exactly what he needed to know, Bols slightly bowed his head to the side so that he could behold the flames that had become weaker.

 _Just like I had thought: it costs him physical power to keep the fires burning and to control them. This means that when I weaken him further, I can use a second in which he is distracted and then quickly get the job done before I get back to him again. Well, guess that’s what people call killing two birds with one stone._ Bulat smiled cockily under his armor and let Neuntote disappear. He would need his bare hands to make the damage that he needed to carry out his plan.

Despite his stature and height, Bulat’s movements were quick, smooth and no matter how hard Bols tried, he could not predict the next step his opponent would make. A feeling of helplessness overcame him. He could not die here. His wife and his daughter were waiting with dinner for him tonight. With that in the back of his mind, he risked to overheat Rubicante and pushed the weapon to its limits once more.

When Bulat jumped into the air to escape the attack, he saw from the corner of his eye, that a shadow was springing towards him. The next thing he knew was that he felt how something pulled him down into the direction of the fire. When he looked down his body, he saw that a whip was wrapped around his calves.

“Bols! Kill him!” Kurome shouted from out of the woods where she had hidden herself in order to recover from Leone’s hit. Bols understood. Whereas the man with the mask was waiting for the puppet to drag the enemy into the heat of his weapon where he would first melt the armor and then incinerate the man under it, Bulat had other plans.

As soon as he was surrounded by flames again, he bent down and took a hold of the whip. With a single, violent jolt, he pulled the lifeless body of the former general Rokugoh into the inferno as well and started to use the zombie as a shield. Unlike him, the puppet had no armor that could lessen the effect of the flames and thus, within a few seconds, the body was completely burned to ashes. Free from the whip, Bulat escaped the fiery pit another time. He could see that the once so high and mighty wall of fire that functioned as a shield for the minister was now nothing more than a little fence. The man grinned all over his face. This was exactly what he wanted: Bols had used up too much energy for an attack on him so that he hadn’t been able to maintain the intensity of the flames surrounding the target.

By now, Leone was holding her own against the other two puppets, Wall and Henter. In spite of the stabs and cuts caused by the latter’s knife and the sturdy nature of the first, she had not reached her limit yet. One alone wouldn’t have been a problem for her, but that they both attacked her at the same time, was giving her a slight disadvantage. Henter was now swirling around her with a speed that she was hardly able to see him. But it was worse that he kept coming closer and closer by narrowing the radius of his circle. Wall on the other hand, did not move an inch. Apparently, he was more than prepared to come at her the second she gave him an opening or tried to attack his speedy comrade.

Her pupils jumped incessantly from one corner of her eyes to the other as she followed the dead tribesman’s ghost-like movements. Gradually, Leone developed a feeling for his patterns. The woman shifted some power into her strong legs and when the puppet came into reach, she lunged at the figure. Triumphantly, she dug her claws into the fabric of his cloak.

“GOTCHA!” Leone exclaimed.

The grin that started to form on her face vanished very quickly when she saw that the piece of cloth was all she was holding in her hands. The burning pain when the sharp little knife was buried in her body was nothing new for her. Often had she experienced this feeling during her times in the slums of the Capital when she had ended up in knife fights over a well-preserved piece of meat that the butcher had thrown into the waste bucket in some alleyway. Also the bruises she had already received before had been nothing and she had already been able to heal them almost instantly. But when the knife was pulled down from between her shoulder blades to her thigh, she could not help but wonder how she could be at such a loss against an empty shell.

Before she could invest further energy in this thought, she felt a pressure in her chest. It was so unbearable and grave that it forced her to her knees for a second. She squeezed her upper legs in an attempt to make the pain go away. When a growl came from the depths of her throat, it sounded like a mixture between anger and pain. As Leone bowed her head, she saw the cusp of a lance that was coming out from her body. Streaks of her blood had drawn a peculiar pattern on the silver steel. She could taste the blood as it was making its way up her gullet. When the wave filled her mouth, Leone supported herself on her hands and spat out the red life essence. In the same second, a brute force tore her body backwards, not giving her enough time to process what just had happened. She slid a short distance while being in tow of the lance that would not just like that leave her chest. Wall had pierced her with his weapon and was now claiming it back.

Leone inhaled deeply to oppose the ache but when Henter threw himself on her and his blade cut her over and over again, she could no longer withstand it and roared loudly. In rage, she mobilized all of her remaining strength and warded the foe off. The puppet seemed to hover for a moment and then came down again. Leone straightened herself and wheeled around when the puppet launched another attack and his weapon disappeared anew in her body. The blonde splayed out her fur-covered fingers with their long, sharp nails at their ends, and drilled them through her opponent’s chest until they found his heart. She clasped it and ripped it out of the hole her attack had left. Then, she threw it onto the floor and trampled on it. A black, glutinous substance sprinkled her boots and the lower part of her pants as the organ exploded under the pressure of her foot.

Henter fell onto his knees. He remained in this position for a couple of seconds before he tilted forwards and crashed onto the hard earth with a dull sound. Leone gave a sharp bark of laughter. Albeit the blood on her back started to dry and she could feel how the wounds were closing, the consequences of the injuries were very severe as she had almost exhausted Lionelle’s recreation limit. Therefore, another blow of this kind would bring about a fatal outcome. When she turned around, she saw how Bulat was trying to get past the other Jaeger member with the goal of penetrating into the fire circle that was surrounding the target. This was her chance to get the job done before the billows of smoke attracted the attention of the Empire’s forces.

Incursio’s armor was no longer shining in its usual grey silver tone but had turned completely black from the many fire attacks Bols had landed on Bulat. The Hundred-Man-Slayer could not believe how mighty his opponent’s weapon was. Rubicante’s flames were definitely Incursio’s Achilles’ heel. Whereas the minister’s barricade had become weaker, and its radius had even been diminished, the teigu’s direct flames had grown all the stronger. Under the protecting layers of Incursio, Bulat had a hard time to reach his usual form. The circumstance that the armor had been heated up permanently was a real challenge for his physical abilities. Being unable to read his opponent’s facial expression due to the mask, aggravated the situation even further.

But still, there was one thing Bulat was sure he had figured out by now: The man seemed to be anxious to be involved in a direct physical confrontation. Bulat reasoned that this was because hand to hand combat was despite his impressive built not his field of expertise. _This fucking flame thrower has to have a limit – every teigu has one. Only a little bit longer and it will cease to fire with this power. I have to hold out until this point is reached._ According to these findings, Bulat clenched his teeth and ignored the critical signs of his body. Instead, he increased his speed.

 _What is he doing?_ The thought shot through Bols’ head and filled his mind with fear and doubts. It had not escaped his attention that the woman with the animal-like features had finished Kurome’s puppets. He hoped the girl would send more members of her army of undead soldiers to defuse the situation. Unfortunately, he was forced to act while he was still thinking this thought. Leone was getting closer to the minister. From what he had seen, the Jaeger could tell that it took her only one leap to break through the obstacle that was the firewall.

With shaking fingers, Bols set almost the whole meadow on fire – an act that cost him all of Rubicante’s resources. At the cost of his weapon being for the moment useless, he had successfully built a barrier that separated the Hundred-Man-Slayer from the battlefield. However, Bols knew that without Rubicante’s power being intact, it was only a matter of time before the burning walls would burn low until they were knee-high camp fires. Suddenly, he faintly heard Kurome’s voice. “Take care of the minister and leave Night Raid to me!”

A second of hesitation passed by, but then, Bols complied to Kurome’s order. The man ridded himself of the weight of his teigu and let it drop from his shoulders. As soon as he was no longer carrying the weapon, his speed increased considerably. When Leone saw him, she grinned devilishly. “Oh, no! I won’t let you get through so easily, my friend!” Pressing her paw onto the hole in her chest, she darted towards the same spot. When she was only a hair’s breadth away from reaching him with her claw, she felt her back being covered by a strange heat. With certainty, she could tell that it was not fire, but something that even went deeper into her cells. The next moment, she was blown back by the impact of an explosion.

Leone landed on her back and somersaulted a few times. When she came to a halt and lifted her upper body, she buried her face in her furry palms because her vision had become black. When she regained her eyesight, she was still seeing double. The woman also thought she was hallucinating when a huge frog cast a shadow over her. The animal was drooling and a bright green substance coated its lips. Where the drops came into contact with the dry grass, they left blank spaces from which little clouds soared up towards the sky whereas a hiss could be heard.

No matter how hard she tried, Leone could not get up and get away from the threat in front of her. All she could do was crawling backwards. In shock she beheld how the frog was shaken by something that looked like a hiccup. The beast’s eyes popped a bit out when its jaw swelled until it was twice its usual size. Leone knew that this would be her end.

She closed her eyes and waited for the moment in which her entire body would be seized by this terrible pain that was already infecting her back.

Bulat, notwithstanding the dangerous fire, came running through the hot barriers, screaming the pain away. He jerked to a halt and used the energy of his sprint to jump high into the air, landing on the huge animal’s back. Before the frog could spill its toxic fluid all over Leone, he perforated its entire body with Ninetote’s tip. The dead amphibian’s body slumped down like a ballon that was losing its air. In the end, there was only a slimy heap left of it. Bulat took off his cape and wrapped it around Leone’s maltreated body in order to spare his comrade more pain and to keep her save from the heat.

Kurome had three of her puppets left. She could not believe that only two members of Night Raid had been able to decimate her army to less than half of its original number. There were two options for her now. One: she joined the fight herself what would be her certain death as she could not beat Incursio – but there was still the possibility to kill the incapacitated criminal. Two: she would sacrifice more of her remaining corpse dolls in order to buy more time and to save herself. She did not really like this idea because she still wanted to have viable battle assets when the big showdown with her sister would take place. _How long it took me to find them all. I hope I can find good replacements before I face Onee-chan._ Against her personal motives, she summoned the last puppet she was willing to send to the battlefield.

Bulat placed Leone on the ground when their legs felt like jelly from the sudden earthquake.

“Another teigu?!” Leone thought out loud.

Synchronically, both Night Raid members directed their eyes to a spot on the ground where the earth started to fissure. The lines became deeper and deeper and within a blink of the eye, a crater appeared. A huge dangerbeast alighted from the huge hole. It let out a loud, shrill roar that echoed through the whole area.

“T-this is…” Leone began to stutter.

“A Desta Ghoul?!?” Bulat finished his comrade’s sentence in disbelief. “I thought these had died out a long time ago?!”

xXx

Bols had taken the opportunity and led the family away from the meadow. By now, they had already covered a certain distance and were on their way back to the carriage. When the vehicle came into sight, they were shocked for a moment: there were no horses adjusted to it.

“Mommy, mommy, I don’t want to die here!” the fat daughter screamed. Her lips were trembling and her entire face was covered in tears and snot.

Everyone’s heart skipped a beat when they heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes behind them. The whole group turned around and was relieved to see that it was one of the bodyguards. When Bols had started his first assault on Bulat, he had managed to escape from the meadow.

“With the intention to call more forces, I had immediately run towards the city – or at least that was what I had thought. Confused and overwhelmed by the events, I was heading into the opposite direction…Well, and now I am here… again.” The men had just finished their account of what had led him back to the place where the carriage was, when the daughter tugged at her mother’s sleeve.

“I got to pee!” she whined.

The mother looked at the bodyguard and Bols. Then, the guard scratched the back of his head and suggested to accompany the girl to the bushes where she could relieve herself.

A minute later, Bols was alarmed by the girl’s hysterical scream. He knew that he was actually supposed to stick with the minister because he was the one he was ordered to protect, but then he thought automatically of his own daughter. The man’s soft core was shaken from the little girl’s screams and he could not reconcile the thought of being responsible for a young human’s death with his fatherly instincts.

“Minister! Please get into the carriage!” he shouted in a stern voice as he sprinted to the source of the screams. When he disappeared behind some trees, he could still faintly hear the mother’s sobs “My baby, my baby! Save my baby!”

Carefully and ready to fight with his bare hands, the tall man sidled through the boughs. He listened with his full concentration and actually could hear someone crying not too far away from him. He had no idea what was just about to happen in the place he had turned his back on.

The minister and his wife were sitting in the carriage. All one could hear was their nervous respiration. Suddenly, the wife began to talk with an agitated voice.

“This is all your fault! If you had not accepted Honest’s dirty money, we would not be in this situation!”

The man’s face was flooded with anger when he looked at the woman next to him. “And guess who has never complained about being able to buy fancy shit from this dirty money!” he spat.

“As if I had been aware of the rotten core of your soul when I married you!” thick tears dropped from her eyes and left dark spots on her satin dress.

“You were as aware of this fact as I was of the one that you were nothing but a gold digger!”

Their banter was interrupted when the door of the carriage was opened as if by an invisible hand. The creaking sound it produced ceased as soon as it had come to a halt. Blinded by the setting sun’s bright orange beams, they winked. The silhouette of a slim young man came into sight. The man made a downward movement with his hand and a gurgle was their last sound when Lubbock tightened Cross Tail’s threads around their necks.

“Man… this heat is killing me! Can’t wait to get back to the hideout and have a cold beer.” The bookseller furrowed. With skepticism, he let his eyes wander into the direction where Leone and Bulat were supposed to be. The rumbling and growling had stopped. “I hope they are all right.” he mused contemplatively. He could no longer feel their movements since the threads on the meadow had been burnt by Rubicante.

But he knew that Akame’s sister had fled into northern direction.

“Aah!” he shrieked and cringed when he felt how two arms were wrapped around his stomach from behind. In front of his nose was a blood-stained needle.

“Guess who has eliminated the Jaeger!” Chelsea announced. The pride of her deed was evident in her voice.

Lubbock turned around and his green eyes met her hazel ones. The girl blushed slightly but Lubbock thought her cheeks were reddened by the sun.

“At first, I transformed into this guard, then, I knocked out that little fatty and took on her shape. With this, it was a children’s game to finish off the Jaeger!”

“Well done.” was the dry statement he gave her as an answer. “Where is Tatsumi?”

“Uh?” Chelsea put a finger to her mouth. “I thought he was with you?”

“Do you see him anywhere around here?!” Lubbock snapped.

The repellant attitude her crush gave her, made Chelsea feel guilty but angry at the same time. He never gave credit to what she did. Then, she had an idea.

“Where is Kurome?” she asked, trying to sound as sober as possible.

“No longer in my wires’ radius. She escaped towards the North. I assume she wants to take the shortcut to get back to the Capital.”

“The shortcut.” Chelsea repeated silently.

“Tatsumi!” Lubbock shouted when he saw the teen approaching them. The brunette boy looked at the carriage. In front of its door, there was already a black paddle from the blood that was coming from its inside.

“The daughter?” he asked. His face told his two comrades that he was lost in thought.

Chelsea and Lubbock exchanged looks.

“I made sure she sleeps until the Empire’s forces come and find them.” Chelsea explained. But instead of soothing Tatsumi’s features, this statement only made his air darker.

The girl was an orphan now.

An orphan – just like him.

“Hey, Tatsumi. We have to leave. The smoke has surely attracted the attention of some more forces. Right, Chelsea?”

When Lubbock turned around, Chelsea was gone.

“That stubborn girl!” he cursed. He looked at Tatsumi once more. There was no way he could leave the newcomer to himself. All he could do now was to hope that Chelsea would be careful and skilled enough to recognize her own limits.

xXx

Kurome had not come too far. The summoning of her puppets had cost her a lot of energy. Not even the extra portion of drugs could have spared her the miserable state she was in now. When her stomach started to rebel, she let herself sink down along the cool surface of a huge boulder and leaned her back and head against it. Her fingers were trembling from the drugs’ side effects. Nervously, she groped for the injection that was somewhere in her skirt’s pocket. The girl took the syringe out and removed the cap with her teeth. Then, she outstretched her arm and pierced the pale skin with the long needle. The act alone of giving oneself this injection, sufficed to calm her down. The teen allowed her eyes to rest a little and her head tilted a bit to the side while she was waiting for the chemistry to make her feel better.

Her eyes flew open again when she sensed a presence. The adrenaline that was being produced by the thought of a possible threat supplied her body with fresh energy and let her straighten up again. The tension ceased when she saw Bols standing in front of her.

“Kurome-chan! Are you okay? What is wrong with you?” With his usual friendly tone, he asked her. And still. Something was not fitting the picture, but she just could not put her finger on what bothered her. Therefore, the girl did not let her guard down.

She smiled sweetly. “Don’t worry. I am fine.”

“Shall I carry you?” Bols offered.

Kurome declined the offer with a reluctant shaking of her head. “Where is the minister?” she asked.

Chelsea, in the guise of Bols, was taken aback by this question. She paused for a second as she thought of an explanation. “The reinforcements saw the smoke rising up. They had figured that something was going wrong. They took him back.”

Kurome pierced her with her dark emotionless eyes.

Chelsea was unable to avoid a gulp. Her mouth became dry. _Did she realize…_

Her stomach cramped when she saw how Kurome rested one hand on the hilt of her sword without breaking the eye contact.

“Bols… I would like to tell you something.” Her voice was as blank as her expression. She beckoned her conversational partner to bow down so she could whisper into his ear.

Chelsea became more and more nervous, not knowing that Kurome was able to feel the signs of her body that this feeling caused. When Chelsea was low enough, Kurome grinned.

In a rapid motion, the tiny Jaeger girl snatched off the mask.

 _NO! PLEASE NO!_ Chelsea knew that she had been exposed. Her teigu could only imitate things that were visible. As she had not known what the man’s face had looked like, she had not been capable of mimicking.

Kurome was at first shocked by the disturbing sight of Bols’ muscular, familiar body with the head of a young woman, but that could not prevent her from immediately attacking the person in front of her.

Chelsea hid herself behind a thick wall of haze from a handful of smoke bombs and ran as fast as her slender legs allowed it.

“NATALA!!! DOYA!!!” she heard the girl behind her calling out these names. The earth erupted and two dead warriors crawled from their tombs.

The male puppet got in front of Chelsea and started to attack her with his spear. Only with effort, the auburn-haired beauty could evade the blows. Her biggest problem was that the attacks kept urging her to go backwards and closer to Kurome again. Her brain was working feverishly to figure out how she could escape this situation that was bringing her closer to death.

When the blonde puppet sent a merciless hurricane of hits towards the Night Raid girl, she had to jump backwards to create a distance that guaranteed her survival. During this move, she had a brief moment that allowed her to turn her head around to see how far Kurome was away from her. Fear flooded her face when she saw that the teenager was standing only a few arm’s lengths away.

 _No, please no!_ Chelsea thought when her heel was caught by a thick root and made her stumble. The young woman tried to catch herself but the struggle was in vain.

She was falling.

Before she crashed onto the ground, a loud bang resounded and during her fall, she saw that the female puppet’s guns were smoking. Tears escaped her eyes when the bullets entered her body and sent heat to the spots of their intrusion.

“Cut her into pieces!” Kurome yelled through her teeth.

Chelsea could not feel anything anymore when she was surrounded by darkness. All sunlight was gone and her body was seized by a numbing coolness. She knew she must have already hit the earth by now and yet it felt like she was still falling. Her face was wet from the tears but she was smiling.

 _Dying is not as bad as I had expected it to be._ Chelsea laughed at the fear she had always felt when it came to this topic. But now, everything was light and easy.

 _And all because I wanted to impress you…_ The thought of Lubbock was the last thing that ran through her head before she surrendered to the darkness.

xXx

The injuries of Leone and Bulat had not been as severe as they had appeared.

Thanks to Incursio, Bulat was completely unharmed. He had not even a single scratch.

“These corrosive injuries worry me a little bit to be honest.” Gwenn said while examining Leone’s back. “I need to bathe these wounds as the acid has etched away the first two layers of skin. Despite your healing powers, we should not risk an infection.”

“Whatever you say, doc.” Leone agreed.

Bulat had positioned himself on the window and beheld his reflection in a silver plate that was meant for surgical instruments.

“Ah, damn. Incursio is good for a lot of things – but not for making one’s hair look great!” He paused shortly, beholding his hair from another angle. "But I tell you, that danger beast was a tough cookie! Took me several hits and the last ounce of my power to beat that damn beast! After I had carved his eyes out, it was still raging and tossing!"

Whereas Gwenn was taking care of Leone, Bulat did his best to bring his hair into shape again. The man did not let show that he was a bit worried about the condition Tatsumi was in. Every now and then, he peeked out of the window to check on his young comrade that was sitting on the bench in front of the hut. Ever since Lubbock had brought him back to their group, he was very introvert and had hardly spoken a full sentence.

During another one of his hasty glances, something else caught his eye and at once, he dropped the silver plate and stormed towards the door with heavy steps. Leone and Gwenn, alarmed by Bulat’s sudden movement, followed their comrade outside. Their hearts became heavy when they saw a blood covered Lubbock making his way along the trail. In his hands, he was holding a lifeless body which he had wrapped in his coat.

When Bulat was close to him, Lubbock could not stand straight anymore and fell onto his knees. The other man took Chelsea from him.

“Help her… help her…” Lubbock huffed. Also Tatsumi was woken up by the somewhat surreal scenario that was taking place right in front of his eyes. He pushed his doubts and sadness aside and rushed to Lubock’s side to help him stand up.

“Are you injured?” he asked.

Lubbock shook his head. “My shoulder… nothing too bad.”

Bulat did not waste a second and carried the body into the hut, Gwenn closely following him. The medic washed her hands and put an apron on while Bulat was freeing Chelsea from the coat.

“What happened?” she asked into the direction of the door where Tatsumi and Lubbock were standing.

“One of the puppets shot her in the back.” Lubbock said under his breath and sank onto a chair. “I knew she was making a mistake. So I went back to look for her and make her stop. But it was too late. Akame’s sister had already seen through her disguise. She had two other puppets and apparently enough energy left to command them. Chelsea was fleeing when she was shot. The other one should cut her up, but I could prevent this. I used my sturdiest threads to wrap her into a cocoon. Fortunately, Akame’s sister was weakened from the exhaustion and fainted, so I could escape without problems and bring Chelsea here…”

Gwenn cut Chelsea’s clothes open and ordered her comrades to leave the hut. When she looked at the bullet holes in her back, she noticed that the blood loss was very low for the spots where the bullets had penetrated the body. At closer inspection, she saw that threads were stopping the bleeding. She smiled mildly before she started the surgery in an attempt to save Chelsea’s life – but thanks to Lubbocks presence of mind, she was positive that she could stitch the other girl together.

xXx

“General! We have found Kurome!” a soldier reported.

Esdeath nodded towards him - a sign for the man to give her more information on the girl’s condition.

“She is alive but has reached her physical limits.” the man added.

Wave was leaning against a tree, running his hands through his hair. “How, Run, how? How can we tell his wife and daughter that Bols is no more?!” His voice almost broke at the end of his question. “These goddamn criminals!” The dark-haired young man tensed his fists so fiercely that his knuckles were all white.

In this moment, Wave resolved that he would be the one to call Night Raid to account for their actions.

The blonde man that was standing next to him crossed his arms in front of his chest. He sighed. Before he could find the fitting words to soothe his friend, he was beckoned over by Esdeath.

“The necessity of finding another member is more urgent than before.” she stated drily, thereby observing how the coroner closed the lid of Bols’ coffin to make him ready for being handed over to his family.

xXx

Back at the hideout, Tatsumi had locked himself up in his room.

At the moment, he just could not stand any of his comrades. Not even Bulat had been able to get through to him.

The brunette boy was torn.

He was working for an organization that did not only kill people but also produce orphans. The boy thought about the minister’s daughter and how she would feel if she was told that she was alone in this world now. He himself had never known his parents but he pictured it to be a hard blow if one had gotten to know the life with a family and was then cheated out of it. His eyes wandered to the little statue he had been given when he had left his home village. It was standing on the night table and looked at him.

A brown piece of pug.

It was ugly.

Nothing special.

But it was all that was left from his parents. At least that was what he had been told. He remembered that the head of the orphanage had told him that this thing would one day be of importance for Tatsumi’s life. When he had asked the man what he meant with this, all he answered was “Time will show, Tatsumi. Time will show.”

Tears ran down his cheeks when unbearable anger overcame him. Without thinking, he grabbed the statue and with full force threw it against the wall. He looked how it shattered into many little pieces.

But what was that? There was a sound different from the one that the sharps had made. It was clearly a **_cling_** \- metal hitting the tiles of his room’s floor.

Tatsumi dried his face. He rubbed it against his lower arm while he rose from his bed. The youth walked to the spot from where the clinking sound had come. Then, he knelt down and ran his fingertips across the floor. The room was bathed in darkness because he had not bothered to light any candles. Only the moonlight send a faint beam through the window.

When Tatsumi distinguished the cold metal from the cold texture of the floor, he took the item into his hand and held it against the window.

It was a richly ornamented key.

* * *

 

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, but university stuff and other spare time activities were keeping me busy! But now, I am back and hopefully, there are still some people who are interested in what is about to come! Though this story is not the one that gets a lot of attention, I am still highly motivated to write it because I am personally really excited to elaborate on all the ideas that the AgK material has given me so far and turn it into something new.**

**This fighting scene was somehow a challenge (since it is my first one), but I also enjoyed it. I hope you also find it a bit entertaining. Feedback is highly welcomed.**

**I should maybe announce something that could be of interest for those people who have already read my first fiction. In this fiction here, I will commit here and there a little case of narrative self-cannibalism which means that I will integrate some of the ideas I have already used in _You Taught Me To Lie Without A Trace And To Kill With No Remorse_ (e.g. Wave’s backstory). I am fine with using or recycling my own stuff, but in case you other people want to use my ideas, I think the etiquette demands it to ask for my permission before you are that brazen as to use my stuff and then sell it as your own product! That is commonly known as plagiarism. **

**I do my best to get the next chapter done as soon as I can – especially since after that, the basis for the story is established and we can get closer to the core! And I am really excited to write about these things and to see how you, my small but exquisite readership, react to what I have planned!**

**What I enjoyed in this chapter, was to think about the way Rubicante functions. I don’t know if I succeeded in giving this weapon a bit more spotlight, but at least I am certain that it is better than the scarce facts the manga delivers.**

**The next chapter is about Tatsumi and how he is doing in the tournament. I can only say this much: The tournament itself as well as its outcome will be very different from the original version! Bols’ death was by the way the only thing I use from the original series. Everything that follows will be different!**


	4. Camaraderie, What Curious a Thing You Are

She had been engulfed by darkness for a long, long time. But the darkness was surprisingly warm and comforting. It felt like she was flying through eternity, totally detached from everything, simply feeling peaceful and free. There was only her, and she was okay with it. She felt incredibly save in this place. No harm could infiltrate these infinite black walls.

But every now and then, familiar voices echoed from the dark’s depths. She recognized the speakers but could not tell what they were saying. They belonged to another sphere, to another life, something that seemed to lie so far in her past that their faces were hazy. She tried to get closer to the core of the night but every time she tried, she immediately forgot the reason for her ambition.

She knew that there were some people that were waiting for her. Sometimes, she could swear that the voices were speaking out her name, calling her, begging her to come back to them.

Sometimes, images kindled. Fragments so fugitive that she could barely recognize anything they contained. But they awakened a deep desire to reunite with these other beings. In these instants, her loneliness became unbearable and she felt how her body was seized by an itching sensation.

And suddenly, Chelsea remembered.

She saw them clearly in front of her. Their faces were sharp, the backgrounds were blurred however.

There was Gwenn. She was sporting a blood-stained apron and a concerned, worried look was on her pretty face. Susanoo handed her silvery shining objects.

There was Najenda. A little tear bloomed in the corner of her remaining eye. Next to her was standing Akame with her usual blank expression. Her hand firmly clenching Murasame’s handle.

There was Bulat. Proud and handsome, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his look wandering out of the window.

And there was _him._ She felt his hand, felt how the warmth of its touch streamed through her entire body. His silhouette was bent over hers. He rocked her in his arms. She smelled his scent. The memories of him were the most vivid ones. She wanted to stroke his cheek that glistened from the tears but her arm would not obey. She could hardly tell the green of his hair from the shade of the leaves above them.

Suddenly, a gleam of light broke through the darkness and washed the imagery away. It was preparing the way for another level of reality. A silhouette came into sight. It was a black outline of a person she could not make out because the light that was coming from behind was too intense.

Chelsea blinked.

Slowly, she opened her eyes but it took some time before they adjusted to the morning’s bright light that shone through the window straight onto her face. Before she could perceive anything actively, Mine’s shrill voice reverberated in her ears.

“SHE’S AWAKE! QUICKLY EVERYBODY! COME HERE!!!” she squealed.

“CHELSEA!” the pink-haired girl sobbed and flung her arms around Chelsea’s neck. She pressed her face into the pillow next to Chelsea’s head and cried away all the tension she had felt during the last three days. Shortly afterwards, Mine’s tears seeped through the fabric and Chelsea could feel the warm wetness against her cheek.

By now, Chelsea’s sight was becoming clearer and sharper. Without moving her head, she let her eyes wander around. She was in her own room in the Night Raid hideout.  

When the feeling for her body slowly started to activate, she realized that her mouth was dry. The young woman tried to part her lips in an attempt to speak, but they seemed to be glued together. When she swallowed, it hurt and it took several goes before her throat and her mouth were moistened again. Despite the ache, she cleared her throat multiple times and thus successfully alleviated the rough feeling in her pharynx.

Mine was alarmed by her noises and rose from the bed. She dried her face with the frilled sleeve of her dress and instantly took the carafe with water and poured Chelsea a glass. She led it to the other girl’s lips. Chelsea gladly accepted the gesture and sat up a little bit. She reached out for the glass to support it. When she commanded her fingers to move, the fingertips twitched but the use of her muscles and bodily functions was a big challenge because her body had stiffened during the last days. An unpleasant tingle began to spread through her hands but she still managed to encompass the glass. Despite the pain and discomfort this caused, it also relieved and satisfied her because this was the sign that she was still alive.

She savored the icy water that cooled her body from the inside and lessened the burning in her throat. When she had emptied the glass, she let herself sink into the pillows again, exhausted from the muscle tension this action had demanded.

As her hands had resumed their usual blood circulation, she wanted to try the same with her toes. Chelsea wanted to move them but nothing happened, the limbs remained motionless, there was no tingle. She put on a critical expression and tried once again but she felt nothing at all. Terror became apparent on her face. When Mine noticed the horrible expression, she hesitated a second before she addressed her comrade.

“Chelsea? What’s wrong?”

In that moment, Gwenn came dashing into the room. Out of breath, she came to Chelsea’s bed and looked at her. When their eyes met, Chelsea opened her mouth and almost inaudibly whispered in a coarse voice “I can’t feel my legs…”

Gwenn let out a heavy sigh and pressed her lips together. She placed her slim body on the edge of the matrass and enveloped Chelsea’s hand in hers.

“I’m sorry. I did my best.” she mumbled, her voice suffocated from the guilty feeling in her chest.

Chelsea squeezed her hand. “I am sure you did.” Then, her head rolled to the side and tears escaped silently from her eyes, leaving dark marks where they were soaked by the duvet cover.

Gwenn swallowed hard before she started to talk again. “Look. The bullets caused severe damage to your spinal cord. There is a slight chance that you can get your full mobility back as soon as it is completely healed. But I’m not going to lie to you, Chelsea. The probability of complete recovery is relatively low and the healing progress of these cells can take some time. So we have to be patient and wait and see what time brings.”

Chelsea gave her a forced smile. “It’s okay, Gwenn. I should be thankful for still being here after all.” Her eyes searched Gwenn’s again. “Thank you for saving my life.” The genuine tone in her voice let a faint smile appear on the medic’s lips.

Gwenn let go of Chelsea’s hand. “You should thank Lubbock in the first place.” she admitted shamefacedly, not being sure if it was a clever decision to bring him up right now. But in the end, Gwenn was assured that this news had the potential to bring some happiness to her friend’s heart.

The auburn-haired girl’s body tensed up at hearing that name. “Lubbock?”

“Yeah. He went after you because he had the premonition that you would be in trouble. He acted quickly and activated his teigu to prevent Kurome’s puppets from landing another attack.” Gwenn explained.

Chelsea remembered. Kurome had given her dead servants the order to cut her into pieces. That was actually the last thing she knew before darkness had claimed her.

“Furthermore, he also used some strings to stop the bleeding. If he hadn’t done so, your blood loss would have been fatal and you wouldn’t have survived the way back to our checkpoint. And even despite Lubbock’s presence of mind, we did not know if you would make it and wake up again. You were in a comatose state for three days.” The medic added.

“Indeed. And it reeks like it in here! Guys, please open a window and help that girl into the bath tub!” Bulat laughed while waving a hand in front of his face to fan himself with fresh air.

“Bulat!” Gwenn bristled at the rough comment but at the same time had to give it her all to sound stern because she found it somewhat amusing.

Mine rolled her eyes, got up and pushed the window open. Subsequently, she rummaged in the drawers of Chelsea’s wardrobe in order to prepare some fresh clothes.

Chelsea had not heard the tall man’s allusion to the miserable physical condition she was in. She did not know what was going on inside of her head and heart anymore. The thoughts and emotions came and went, seemed to mix but she could make nothing of it. But if she had to describe it, she would have said that happiness and desperation were the two dominating forces.

“Where is he? I would like to see him…” she stated absentmindedly, focusing a point at the wall.

“You mean Lubbock? Uhm.” Mine looked at Bulat and Gwenn. The first looked away, scratching the back of his head, the latter inhaled deeply. None of them wanted to tell her. They knew perfectly well about Chelsea’s weakness for the part-time bookseller and wanted to spare her a disappointment in the state she was in right now.

Gwenn finally cleared her throat. “He is in the city.” the medic spluttered, hoping that the words would not be so hurtful if they were spoken rapidly.

Bulat also felt the urge to deliver an explanation why Lubbock had left whereas everybody else had stayed by Chelsea’s side. “You know what Lubbo’s like, a real workaholic. Drowning his sorrows in work, that’s our Lubbo!” He snickered affectedly.

Mine nodded. “Yeah, right! In work and newly arrived porn magazines!” she added.

Chelsea smiled bitterly.

xXx

In the dim light of a tavern that was situated some miles outside the Capital, so to say in its suburbs, a young man in a dark suit was sitting on a stool. He had already gotten rid of his jacket which he had carelessly placed to his right on the counter. Furthermore, he had loosened the knot of his tie and opened the first two buttons of his shirt. The circumstances that had ultimately led him there were so devastating and sad in their nature that he had felt feverish all day long, and was now relieved that he had found a place where the change of his wardrobe would not offend anyone.

The thick black hair that had a dark blue shimmer in it hung into his face and cast a dark shadow over his eyes which made it almost impossible to read his face. His head was resting in the palm of one of his hands, whereas the other hand was tightly embracing a glass with a small rest of whiskey in it. The golden liquid shone in the light of the candles as the glass was lifted once more and led to the man’s lips. He swallowed the rest of the alcoholic drink greedily and kept a straight face as the substance ran down his throat, where it left a stinging trail of heat.

He snuffled and wiped the moisture from his mouth with the back of his hand. Then, he inhaled deeply while placing the glass noisily on the counter’s dirty surface and tapped onto it with his index finger – a sign for the waitress to give him another refill.

The woman raised an eyebrow. She thought that the man in front of her had already had enough refills and did better to go home now. But due to the wretched aura he radiated, she felt pity and thus complied with his wish and reached out for the bottle. While pouring the whiskey into the glass, she took a closer look at her customer of the day. His hair was ruffled and he had some little fissures in his shirt. The knuckles of his hands were red and on his right one, the skin was even grazed so heavily that little white patches stuck out and contrasted with the reddening of the surrounding area. Under his fingernails, there was dried blood. She guessed that he had gotten into a fight.

 _Glug, glug, glug_ and the glass was full.

Wave nodded politely towards the waitress before he emptied it again, this time in one gulp. He shook his head and blew some of the dark strands of his fringe out of his eyes before he rubbed his face with his hands. His palms were cool from the glass and thus were welcomed by his hot cheeks.

“Rough day.” the waitress mused and looked at her customer pitifully.

“You might say that.” he returned dryly, and the pained expression that turned his meek features into a picture of agony underlined the words.

Three days had passed since Bols’ death.

Today was his funeral.

After the official part, some people had decided to come to this tavern which was not too far away from the cemetery. Wave had not tagged along immediately. He had preferred taking a stroll through a nearby wood, trying to get a sober mind before socializing with people again. After a while of wandering around aimlessly, he had sat down on a tree stump.

True, it was a part of their job that people died, but nobody had told him that losing comrades would be such a painful experience. Wave asked himself if the pain would be less intense in case Bols’ had died honorably instead of being stabbed from behind. He would never know the answer.

The thought of Bols’ last minutes filled him with unspeakable anger. In the middle of the lonely forest, he had let out a terrifying bellow of rage. He kicked the tree stump that had just served as a place to rest with all of his power. The piece of wood flew through the air and landed in a nearby paddle. Wave fell onto his knees and hot tears streamed down his face. He slammed his hand into another fallen tree’s trunk, continuously screaming, allowing the hate to completely consume him. As his power came to an end, he sunk to the ground and fainted.

When he had opened his eyes again, the sun was already leaving the sky. He picked himself up, and, like a ghost, he made his way to the inn. His clothes were dank. A result of the hours he had spent lying on the soil. When he entered, most of the people had already left and he had the bar almost to himself. Though he did not care much about it, he knew what a miserable sight he must have been and was therefore somehow relieved to find the place deserted.

At the one hand, he was aware that he should actually avoid the solitude because it was poison for him in his current state, but at the other hand, it was just what he wanted: being alone and surrendering to his feelings, allowing the memories to overwhelm him and wash away all other reality around him.

He could just not shake off the images that tortured him ever since they had entered the little path that led to Bols’ family’s house. Wave turned his gaze inward to reminiscence the events of the past days.

_It had been in the middle of the night when they had arrived there. Wave and Run._

_Wave had never witnessed such a procedure before and was surprised how much bureaucracy a death could cause. The examination and creation of documents had dragged on until the late evening hours. Then, finally, Bols was allowed to rest in the Palace’s cold catacombs._

_All the way through the Capital and through the well-trimmed streets of the suburb that was especially constructed for the soldiers’ families, Wave could not think of appropriate words to express something he himself had not been able to grasp yet._

_Bols was dead._

_Cowardly and perfidiously murdered by Night Raid._

_There were only few lights in the windows of the houses. Most of the residents were already sleeping soundly in their warm beds._

_The pebbles scrunched under the soles of their shoes as they walked up the little path that led from the gate to the porch’s stairs. Also in Bols’ house, there was no trace of light. Before they entered the first step, Wave grabbed Run by his sleeve._

_“I can’t do that.” he exclaimed, his voice shuddering under the tension._

_Run gave Wave a worried look and patted his back. “Don’t worry. I’ll do everything. But I am sure, Bols would have appreciated that you came along after all.” He smiled kindly._

_Wave tried his best to smile, but the corners of his mouth just would not move up._

_When Run knocked on the door, it took a while before a woman’s cheerful and sweet voice answered from the other side. They heard the staircase creak and a soft light came nearer to the door._

_“Who’s there?” the woman asked politely._

_The two men exchanged looks. Wave gaped, struggling to find his tongue. Run reacted quickly. “Your husband’s colleagues.” The man’s voice did not show any sign of distress. Wave envied Run for this composure and yet was taken aback by the stoic manner in which his friend handled the situation._

_The woman opened the door only a slit and looked at them with a neutral countenance. She held the candle towards their faces and when she recognized them, she removed the chain and opened the door completely. However, confusion mixed with curiosity in her warm eyes as she looked straight into Run’s unreadable face._

_“Good evening, Ma’am.” the blonde Jaeger said, his face kind as usual._

_“What can I do for you?” the woman wanted to know._

_When her eyes wandered over to Wave, who averted his gaze and looked to the ground, her face became paler and her eyes widened. Her lips started to quiver at the sight of the young man’s grim face._

_In that instant, she knew what the two men had come for. She loosened her grip around the candle. As it fell, its flame died out and it broke into two halves._

_“… no…” she whispered and swallowed hard, making some steps back into her house, staggered and tried to hold herself up by grabbing the door frame, all the time forming words with her lips, without succeeding to produce a single sound._

_Run made it just in time when her legs numbed. He caught her, thus preventing the fragile body to dash against the stony ground of the house’s porch. The woman started to sob and pressed her face against Run’s chest. The noise became louder and louder by the second until it culminated in desperate, high-pitched screams that not even Run’s collar could muffle._

_Wave could not stand the sight. He walked away towards the street. Saliva pooled in his mouth when a nauseous feeling overcame him. His stomach cramped and he quickly clasped his hands over his mouth because he had the feeling that he had to vomit at any second._

_The moment he had successfully defeated his body’s reaction and the sickness subsided, a delicate voice was heard. Wave slowly turned his head towards the house. His mouth became dry when he saw a third person standing close to Run and Bols’ wife._

_“Mommy?”_

_Alarmed by the mother’s breakdown, the little girl had woken up and was standing at the end of the staircase. She was rubbing her sleep-filled eyes with her tiny fist and cradled a teddy bear in her arm._

Wave covered his ears, but it was useless. The woman’s screams and the girl’s crying were as present as if they were standing next to him. These sounds, along other horrible impressions connected to the loss of his comrade, were burned into his brain and kept haunting him. It also brought back some images from today’s funeral.

He heard the woman’s cries, he saw the thick tears rolling down the soft, round cheeks of Bols’ daughter, he heard the woman telling the child that “Daddy is in a better place now”. He remembered how they had knelt down next to the grave, holding each other so fiercely as if they feared to fall apart if they let go. Before his inner eye, he saw all the people that had showed up to pay their last respect to an exceptional, warm-hearted man. Wave could even still feel the pressure of the coffin on his shoulders. The short distance from the church to the graveyard seemed to be the longest and hardest walk of his life. It was not only the weight of the coffin he felt on him, but also the silent reproach that he had not been there to assist his cherished comrade.

_Why did I let you leave alone, you and Kurome?_

The dark-haired man was so absorbed and caught in his contemplations that he did not immediately notice when someone occupied the seat next to him. Only when Run squeezed his shoulder and loudly spoke out his name, Wave was yanked out of his thoughts and directed his attention to his fellow Jaeger.

“There you are. I have been looking for you everywhere!” Run exclaimed. “Come, it is time to go head back to the Palace.” he said softly. The blonde gently got a hold of his friend’s arm and pulled him a bit.

Wave brusquely brushed the hand away and gave Run an irritated look. “L-leave me alone…” he hiccupped, sounding like a stubborn child.

Run was frightened when he looked at his friend’s face. Maybe it was only the bad light of the room, but just now did he realize in what an awful condition his friend was. There were dark rings under his eyes. The blue orbs that usually brimmed with vitality were dull.

xXx

Lubbock had fallen asleep at the long table in his shop during an attempt to bring some order into the chaos he called accounting. But not only the endless figures and data had tired him, it was also due to the considerable amount of vodka he had thinned his blood with.

It was a scratching sound that woke him up in the middle of the night. Drowsily, with half-opened eyes, Lubbock’s eyes wandered through the room in order to find the source of the noise. It came from the door. The young man massaged his neck as he rose from the chair. The alcohol had destroyed his fear of an uncomfortable sleeping position, but now that took its toll on him.

Lubbock strut along his shop’s main alley. When he turned the key and opened the door, the bells jingled in excitement and fast as lightning, a black shadow came flying into the room. The black animal landed on a pile of books that was positioned in the middle of the table.

The bookseller immediately recognized the bird: it was one of the ravens they used for communication. A little paper was adjusted to its claw. Carefully, Lubbock freed the animal from it and unrolled the note. His heart skipped a beat when he read the message that was written in a familiar neat, ornamented handwriting.

_Chelsea woke up. She asks for you…_

_Gwenn_

He swallowed hard.

“Am I ready for this?” he asked into the darkness but no one answered.

After a moment of hesitation, he took his cloak from the coat hook and slid elegantly into it with one swift movement. Then, he blew out all the candles and led the raven outside. He watched as it spread its wings and flew towards the full moon until it was nothing but a small point in the grey night sky.

Finally, he himself stepped into the fresh night air and locked the door before he pulled on the hood of his cloak and walked through the narrow alleys at a smart pace.

On his way to the hideout, he resumed what he had found out for himself during the time of Chelsea’s coma.

“When I thought she would die, it affected me strongly. I felt fear and desperation. Then, I felt guilty because I did not show up five minutes earlier. If she had died, it would not have been Akame’s crazy sister but me who would have had her blood on his hands. I need to see her. To beg her my pardon…” he mused to himself.

_And because she is more than a comrade to me._

The thought penetrated his consciousness like a dagger. It was sharp and aimed right into his heart. Why did he think something like this? He had devoted his heart, soul and body to Najenda years ago. He had given up his old life to be with this woman. It was impossible that he felt anything for anyone but her.

_And my love has been unrequited ever since…_

“Argh! NO! Stop thinking these silly things! As soon as the war is won, Miss Najenda will be able to concentrate on our relationship! I have held on this for too long! I cannot give up!” he made a sullen face and in his frustration, he kicked a stone away.

“Hey! What the fuck?!” the roar of an angered male voice followed the sound of shattered glass and echoed through the streets.

As a first reaction, Lubbock stiffened up, but then realized the danger of the situation and ran as fast as he could, disappearing behind the next corner.

xXx

When Wave woke up the next morning, his head was aching. He could hardly remember anything that happened the night before. When he looked down himself, he saw that he had been sleeping in the same clothes he had been wearing at Bols’ funeral – only that there were some changes to them.

His shirt was ripped at some spots, his pants were covered with dried mud and his shoes that were standing next to the bed were covered with strange splashes. Wave bent forward and narrowed his eyes to inspect them closer. When he realized that his throat was sore, that he had a sour taste in his mouth and that the stench on his shoes was more than unpleasant, a fragment of the last night popped up in his mind.

Run had propped, almost carried him. He had definitely done his best to bring him safely home to the Palace. They had been looking for a carriage, but at this late hour, the chances were zero to find one. At some point, Wave had started to gag and Run had ushered him into a dark corner where he had emptied his complete stomach under horrible cramps.

“Fuuuuck…” Wave cursed. “I really owe you one, Run…”

He decided to take a shower and put on some fresh clothes before he was able to seek social contact and purge his contempt. Still in his room, Wave got rid of his dirty clothes and tied a towel around his hips before he slid out into the corridor. The young man sneaked into the common bathroom on his tiptoes and listened closely if anybody else was around. It was completely silent.

Wave turned on one of the showers and let the hot water pour until the entire bathroom was hidden behind thick vapor. When he reached out for his toothbrush, he felt that his hands were aching. His dark blue eyes focused his right hand. He spread his fingers and then made a fist again. Wave repeated this a few times but the pain did not cease.

It reminded him not only of the self-recrimination that he was scourged by since he had beheld Bols’ lifeless body, but also of the resolution that had come to his mind like an epiphany when he was lying on the damp forest ground. Shortly before his consciousness had left him, he had been obsessed with one thought: getting stronger to avenge Bols and to prevent the deaths of other comrades.

He had totally underestimated Night Raid. Sure, they were assassins but that they did not have a thimble of honor had really taken him by surprise. He scoffed and guffawed at his own stupidity.

“They are called _NIGHT_ Raid for a reason… these cowards…”

He loosened the towel from his hips and used it to wipe over the misted up mirror he was standing in front of. When his reflection became visible, he looked into his own eyes and swore that getting stronger was his way to redeem his debts, to make the man proud he owed his life and rank.

“I will hunt you down personally, Night Raid… I will make you pay… with these hands…”

Wave closed his eyes and inhaled deeply until his lungs hurt. Then, he stepped under the hot water jet and simply enjoyed the way it made him feel like his sorrow was being washed away. He rested his head against the wet tiles and supported himself with his lower arms against the wall. The hot water kept running down his back and he tried to think of nothing, tried to free his mind from all that menaced him.

All the self-doubts, the grief, the questions, the burdens, he just wanted to get rid of them for at least a split second. And it actually worked out for a moment.

His peaceful state shattered though, when he was overcome by the impression of feeling Bols’ presence nearby. Wave did not want to open his eyes but his face turned into a sheer display of irritation when it seemed as if he could feel Bols so closely that it seemed like he was standing right next to him. He swore he could feel his breath and he even distinguished his body’s warmth from the heat in the bathroom.

“No… it can’t be…” he breathed and shook his head. Ghosts did not exist. But he did not want to open his eyes because he feared that he had to reconsider this conviction.

“Oh yes, it can.” a voice spoke directly into his ear as a pair of hands was placed on his shoulders.

Wave’s eyes flew open. He started back and almost slipped on a piece of soap but could manage to win his equilibrium again.

“Oh, sweetheart, would you mind picking up that piece of soap for me?” Dr. Stylish snickered, sounding like a shy little girl.

A piercing shriek escaped from Wave’s lips and he covered his eyes when he saw that the doctor was standing in front of him in his birthday suit, one hand on his hip, blowing him a kiss with the other one.

The raven-haired soldier could not hide the contempt he felt in that moment and wheeled around abruptly, making a face of disgust. However, the slippery ground was taking a toll on Wave yet again and this time he ultimately fell. Whereas he was busy rubbing his coccyx, he did in the first moment not realize that Stylish was inching closer. Only after a few seconds, when the pain was not that strong anymore, he looked up and let out a loud cry when he saw the other man’s privates dangling only an arm’s length away from his face.

As if he was in a life or death situation, he crawled backwards on the floor until he reached the wall and then stood up as quickly as never before in his entire life. Before he bolted out of the bathroom, he managed to grab a towel. While he was fleeing hastily, he heard Stylish yelling from between the steam clouds.

“Hey, don’t be so shy, cutie!”

When Stylish heard the bathroom door falling into its lock again, he sneered. “How unstylish.” he concluded.

Back in the safety of his room, Wave locked the door and covered the keyhole by hanging a shirt over the door handle.

Just in case.

Then, he leaned with his back against the door and sighed heavily before he let himself sink down on the floor.

“I guess I deserve this after having caused Run so much trouble…”

xXx

As usual, Bulat came to see Gwenn in the treatment room after his daily training.

“You did a really good job, honey pie.” Bulat stated, thus referring to the surgery she had conducted on Chelsea.

“Apparently not good enough.” The girl said and dipped the teabag in and out of the cup with steaming water in front of her.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re a doctor, not a magician.”

She breathed out shakily and rolled a grape along the table under her index finger.

“What about Tatsumi?”

Bulat furrowed. The sudden change of the subject was not really pleasant for him.

He grabbed a chair and positioned it in front of Gwenn’s desk, bestrode it, crossed his arms and rested his head on them so he could directly face her. “He needs some time to digest what has happened and to come to terms with the shadow side of our job.” The man took a grape from the fruit plate on the desk as well and ate it quickly. “You know, curiously, he found it more shocking that this girl is an orphan now than the fact that some people had to be killed.”

Gwenn leaned back in her chair. She propped her elbow on the armrest and cupped her head in her hand. “I still doubt that he is fit for the tasks that await him. What if he cracks up during a mission he actively participates in?”

Bulat pursed his lips. “Najenda brought up the same issue.”

“And what did you tell her?” Gwenn’s voice was filled with worry.

“Well.” he began and stretched out his arms. “I said that I would make sure that this does not happen. I promised to take him under my wing.” Bulat put on his brightest smile and pointed his thumbs towards his own chest.

Gwenn answered with a skeptical look. The girl wrapped a strand of her hair around her finger and looked up at the ceiling.

“Come on, princess! When I managed to knock the nonsense out of you and replace it with some muscles and fighting skills, then training Tatsumi is a sheer walk in the park!” he jokingly said but felt the dark aura that came from his conversational partner.

The strawberry blonde girl unknowingly let her hand wander to one of the many places where Bulat usually had landed some painful hits with his weapon. As much as she had hated him back then for the many hours of hard training that had brought her to her physical limit, as much she appreciated and worshipped him now.

Gwenn inwardly was even thankful for Bulat’s efforts to get her into a better shape because she had lost some weight through this – but of course she would never openly admit this fact. Firstly because most people considered her being too skinny anyway, and secondly would she then take away the trump she held against Bulat. Each time she asked him for a favor, she brought up the topic how mercilessly he had tortured her fragile body with his harsh attacks.

“Tch… sounds more like a primrose path to me though…” Gwenn returned without looking at Bulat. Thus she only could tell by the sound of his voice that his next statement was nothing that he could bring himself to say easily.

“Najenda is playing with the thought to send him to the local team. Fact is, he has potential but since he has not been compatible with a teigu yet, he is no fit candidate for our little exclusive party here.”

The muscular warrior rose from the chair and replaced it under the window. He took a bunch of grapes and ate them delightfully. His mouth was not completely empty when he addressed Gwenn again. “I think I’ll take him on a trip to Mount Fake.” The man walked around the table and kissed the petite woman gently on her head. “Stop blaming yourself and EAT.” he whispered into her ear, stroked her head and shuffled the plate closer to her.

Gwenn snorted exasperatedly. “Yeah, yeah… I will…” She knew he was right but in these stressful situations, the sheer thought of swallowing food of whatever kind made her nauseous.

xXx

“I shall train you _personally_?!” Esdeath exclaimed in disbelief.

However, the sight of her subordinate let no room for speculation that Wave had been dead serious about his request: He was kneeling to her feet, bowing down so deeply that his forehead touched the cool marble floor.

Iliya, in whose company she was as they had just been discussing the latest strategies for the battlefield and their company in the East, turned around. The man could not stand this display of comicality. He raised his eyebrows and grinned scornfully. How pathetic that little maggot was.

“Please, I am begging you” Wave repeated.

Esdeath smirked. “You know, Wave, I have recruited you for a reason. That reason was that you were such capable fighters that you do not need further training to execute my orders.”

She slid the tip of her boot under the dark-haired youth’s chin and yanked his head back, so that he had to face her from his frog’s perspective.

“You seem to be very determined, right?”

“YES, I AM!” Wave almost yelled. He knew that Esdeath would immediately dismiss his concern and maybe even punish him if he showed weakness.

“So, so?” the ice queen tilted her head to the side without breaking their eye contact.

“YES!” he once more confirmed.

Iliya massaged his forehead with his thumb and index finger. His contemptuous air shifted into discomposure when Esdeath grabbed the other man’s scarf and pulled him up to say “Then I guess I have left no other choice, huh?”

Whereas the lieutenant’s face became darker and his nostrils widened, Wave’s eyes gleamed with confidence. “Thank you, commander! I swear that I will not disappoint you!” He smiled goofily and turned around to leave, when Esdeath got a hold of his arm and jerked him back again.

“Ah, ah, ah! I am not finished yet! Did you really think that I can be persuaded so easily? There are some conditions linked to my consent.” a devilish smile let her full lips curl up at their sides. Her hand was capturing the lower part of Wave’s face in a firm grip, squeezing the flesh together, making him look like a fish.

Wave gulped. Was this a trap? Or a sort of chicanery? Would she play with him and use him for her own amusement. A strange feeling overcame the boy.

“You’ll have to prove yourself to me in a direct battle.” Esdeath explained and with a weak movement pushed his face away.

Wave swallowed hard. “Y-you w-want m-m-me to f-fight y-you?” Wave stuttered, rubbing his chin that was slightly hurting from his commander’s touch.

Esdeath looked at him incredulously and grimaced. “Please, boy…” she uttered with a snarky undertone. “N-n-no o-of c-course n-not!” the woman spoke in a deep voice to mock the boy as she babbled the words fretfully. “You’ll fight _him_!” she proclaimed casually and pointed into Iliya’s direction.

The brunette man thought that it must have been a misunderstanding. Iliya turned around and checked the room for other people. His commander could not be serious. Why in the world would she ask, even order him to waste his time with such nonsensical activities?

Also Wave did not seem to be too delighted as he knew that Esdeath’s second in command was the text book example of an implacable opponent. Though he mostly knew from hearsay what a virtuoso warrior the man was, he had also had some occasions to witness how adept he swung his sword with his own eyes - and not to mention that Iliya was apparently void of any emotion.

“General. We have more imp-“ Iliya had the feeling that he was choking on the rest of the words but still did not dare to continue speaking after receiving a warning look from his boss.

“Don’t question my orders. EVER.” The half-closed eyes were as threateningly as the icicle that erected from the palm of her hand and was poking against Iliya’s windpipe. Instead of panicking like everyone else would have done, the brunette stepped a few steps back, bowed down, his face showing no sign of intimidation.

Esdeath’s face was decorated with a self-complacent smile.

“Any questions?”

She eyed both men. None of them felt the need of saying another word.

xXx

Timidly, Lubbock approached the two girls that were sitting in a shadowy spot in the garden. Both backs were turned towards the newly arrived young man. Mine was sitting on a little taboret behind Chelsea’s wheelchair and brushed the latter’s long, auburn hair with soft strokes. Lubbock was fascinated by how beautifully her silky hair mirrored the sun’s orange beams and how perfectly the warm shine mixed with the red tint. When he realized how deeply he had lost himself in the sight, Lubbock shook his head forcefully which helped him to bethink of the reason he had come for.

Taking one last deep breath, he slowly drew closer to the girls. The crack of some branches gave his presence away. Mine, wary like a watchdog, turned her head and focused her comrade with her piercing glance. Her eyes narrowed and she pressed her thin lips together. Lubbock nodded and exhaled.

“I think I should go and have a look at the laundry.” Mine said sharply. It was just now that Chelsea became aware of Lubbock’s presence. Her cheeks heated up and she secretly hoped that her skin would show no sign of her inner workings. When Mine walked past Lubbock, she gave him a warning look with her intense pink eyes. The youth then took the taboret and placed it next to Chelsea. He sank down on it with slightly parted legs, placed his elbows on his shanks and laid his face onto his fists.

Both assassins looked straight ahead, down into the valley that was lying to their feet. Neither Chelsea nor Lubbock dared to say a word and thus an awkward silence overcame the situation like a transparent veil. Lubbock kept staring at a bumblebee that had landed on the elder bush in front of him. He took in every detail of the little, fluffy animal that agitatedly crawled from one bud to another. Its fur was covered with uncountable microscopic yellow dots.

“I honestly don’t know what to say…” Lubbock finally decided to break the silence.

Chelsea scoffed quietly. “Me neither… Gwenn has told me everything… looks like I am in your debt… for like my entire life… for actually saving my life…” She felt ashamed for babbling these little word constructions.

“Guess the fact that I came too late makes up for that.” Lubbock buried his face between his hands.

She could no put her finger on it but for some reason, she felt guilty when she turned around and saw Lubbock in his resignation.

“You know what’s the worst part of this?” she suddenly asked.

Lubbock’s head darted up to face her. He was surprised to see that instead of grief, she was wearing her usual smile.

“That now, I cannot dance for joy when somebody brings me Kurome’s severed head on a silver platter.” She smirked.

Lubbock was somehow shocked and looked at her in disbelief when the girl burst out into laughter. But her laugh was so hearty and loveable that it jumped over to him like a fire and he attuned. In that instant, both completely forgot about the fact that something had changed and simply enjoyed the light-heartedness of the moment, there in the warmth in between the bushes.

Suddenly, the boy’s laughing died out. Chelsea looked at him with big, questioning eyes.

“That’s it!” He shot up from the taboret as if stung by an adder, the movement so gruffy that the piece of furniture tumbled over and rolled a short distance away from the two people. Lubbock slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand and the clash was so loud that it echoed through the valley.

“Who says you cannot dance anymore?” a coy grin spread across his face. “Come!” He reached out his hands but Chelsea just stared at them, not sure what she was supposed to do now. Lubbock rolled his eyes and consequently became active. He grabbed her delicate wrists and under a spirited jolt, he pulled her up. Instinctively, the auburn-haired assassin wrapped her arms around Lubbock’s neck and let her thin body crash against Lubbock’s chest.

When their bodies touched, Chelsea’s heartbeat accelerated instantaneously. It was mesmerizing. Never before had they been so physically close. Her mind was clouded and she felt like she was not really stuck in her body but witnessing the scene from another perspective. She did not even notice when Lubbock placed his hands on her hips and lifted her up slightly to put her feet onto his own ones.

The auburn-haired girl gulped and tried to breathe evenly. Her hazel eyes met Lubbock’s green ones that were returning her gaze with an expression of joviality that released a whole swarm of butterflies inside of her stomach. The young man slowly started to move his feet to an imaginary rhythm and swayed the girl in his arms along with it.

Chelsea rested her head on his shoulder. She tightened the embrace of her arms, dug her fingers into the fabric of his shirt and thereby brought her body closer to his. Lubbock closed his eyes and inhaled the fragrance of her hair that smelled sweeter than any flower. Whereas one of his hands held on to her slender waist, his other skimmed along her back until he felt the soft texture of her hair on his fingertips. Tempted by how good it felt, he played with a strand.

From far away, echoing through the hills and past the mountain tops, came the sound of the Capital’s cathedral. Chelsea felt how the faint music of the bells made Lubbock cringe. Politely yet decisively, the man loosened the girl’s embrace and assisted her to get back into the wheelchair again.

“Sorry, we’ll have to postpone our dancing lessons, I have an urgent meeting with Miss Najenda! I cannot let her wait!”

 _Najenda…_ hearing the name coming through his lips was as if he had clutched her heart with his bare hand and squeezed it together with full force.

As she watched him leave, she had the impression that more than only her legs had numbed.

xXx

Cold sweat coated Wave’s back. At a spot where his shirt was not yet clinging to his skin, he could feel like a drop came rolling down his stomach and made a slight turn to the left over his kidney. The corner of his mouth twitched and it was extremely difficult to not scratch. He had to stayed focused and concentrate on the other man that was light-footedly pacing the battlefield.

Iliya moved like a cat, strutting with long, light steps. His eyes, burning with anger, never looked away from Wave. The soldier could read the boy like an open book. Even though his face showed no affection, he could tell from the way the dark-haired youth held his weapon in an uptight way that his opponent was close to shitting his pants.

Why not play for a while?

When Iliya changed his pattern of motion and made a sudden step into Wave’s direction, he took delight in seeing the boy backing back nervously, thereby blowing up dust during his maladroit movement. Grand Chariot’s metal felt warm against Wave’s palm and he had difficulties to hold it straight because the handle was greasy from his sweat.

“Come on, guys!” Esdeath shouted from her location next to the battlefield. She called out to the two men, using her hands to form a funnel, thus increasing the volume of her voice.

At once, Iliya took a battle stance and unsheathed his sword. Provocatively, he cast a half-circle in front of him, the traces were clearly visible in the dry ground they were standing on.

“Come at me, fish boy!“

 _Fish boy?!_ The word made Wave’s eye twitch and he just wanted to counter something but then, in the last second, he stopped himself. _This is just what he wants to achieve: Baffle me so that he has an easy job. Don’t fuck with me pretty boy…_

Wave did not let another second pass by and lunged at the figure at the opposite side of the field.

* * *

 

**A/N: Okay, guys. In my last chapter’s A/N, I announced that chapter 4 will show the tournament. But I had to change my plans because I think that it is crucial for the further plot development to show the effects of the first battle between NR and the Jaegers first. In that sense, you can regard this chapter as a little preparation and an outlook to some poignant future character constellations.**

**  
To be honest, this is also my way to atone for Bols’ death. Now, that he had to die, it shall not be without any consequences. He was too nice and loveable a character as to just accept his death and leave him behind without a due amount of commemoration. So take this as my deepest apology and as obituary for Bols! :D**

**I also hope you liked the Chelsea and Lubbock scenes – I am sorry, but I am such a sucker for that pairing xD**


	5. The Past Is Not Forgotten

**A/N: Hey guys! Though only a few people read my fiction, I still would like to say that I am sorry that it took me so long to update. Let me assure you that I am still planning to finish this story and despite longer waits, the next chapters will definitely come. A quite unpleasant time lies behind me and during those last weeks / months I did not have enough energy to write or pursue any other spare time activities. But from now on, I am trying to update at least once per month. A big thanks to you highly appreciated few who are still with me!**

* * *

 

The Empire Chronicles

Volume 5: The Past Is Not Forgotten

The dense forest that bordered on the Capital’s northern entrance was almost completely hidden behind a thick veil of white fog. Especially along the rivulet, one could hardly make out the positions and shapes of the vegetation with the naked eye. Solely the treetops of the highest firs protruded from the surreal picture and seemed like markings to pinpoint where the sky ended and the world underneath began. Besides occasional green spots, everything was painted with a palette of diverse grey shades as the day was only a few hours old. The cool chill of the night was still perceptible in the air.

Whenever a breeze made it through the canyons and hills that separated the Capital from the next village, it made the leaves rustle reluctantly. The eternal fight between day and night also left a trace in form of millions of dewdrops that pebbled the plants and trees or ornamented the cobwebs that had been erected in between the tall grass and the reeds like little sparkling diamonds. Whenever a thick droplet rolled down a smooth green surface and crashed into a leaf on a lower level, a drumming sound came and went. Though some last remains of moisture were in it, the air was clean and vitalizing.

Kurome inhaled deeply and filled her lungs to the maximum with oxygen as she and the rest of her assassination group walked along the almost invisible path that led to the massive walls which had been erected around the Capital. Once, this area had been neatly trimmed and nicely shaped by the human hand. A picturesque path had led visitors to the marble doors, welcoming everyone to the Empire’s capital. However, not much of this glory was left. Since the first riots had come to life under the current Emperor’s father’s reign, the part that bordered on the forest had seen uncountable alterations. What had once been a friendly sight, inspiring for artists, had become a barbican. Only some moss covered white stones served as reminders of the past.

As of late, it had even become necessary to increase the number of guards since the rebels had continually come through the woods under the wings of night and cleverly used the advantages of the vegetation as it was this side that granted the shortest way to the Palace. It had also been intruders of that kind that the Dark Squad had sought out and successfully eliminated during their nocturnal activities ere they could have started another attempt to force their entry into the Capital. Thanks to Great General Budo’s fully developed information network, they had learned that there was a camp of rebels somewhere not far from the walls.

The raven-haired girl firmly looked at the ground to avoid possible dangers such as snakes and poisonous plants that called the swampy passages their home. Thanks to the special dose of her drugs, her mind and body were fully awake despite the strength-sapping mission she had behind her. Along with the other members, she came to a halt and instinctively drew Yatsufusa when a terrific screech echoed through the valley. Kurome was seized by a faint feeling of sadness because the sound reminded her of her precious Destaghoul. A proud member of her dead army she had sacrificed with a heavy heart when she had faced Night Raid. She involuntarily gnashed her teeth. The puppets were replaceable, her life again wasn’t.

 _There was no other option to survive. And **I have to survive**. _ She told herself, pulling out some consolidation of the words in her head.

From her earliest days on, the girl had been indoctrinated with the maxim that she was the Empire’s servant, that the sole purpose of her existence was to maintain the country’s peace, that her life was worthless, and that in case she died, it was all for the greater good. Just like all the other children who had been unlucky enough to be born only to receive this cruel fate, Kurome was one of endless soldiers that had to exchange their status of ‘human being’ with the life as an instrument.

And yet, her sister had given her a reason to maintain at least a speck of what came close to a will to live. The motivation might had changed during the years, but it was still there. No matter if it was now or then, the will to be united with her sister again had perpetuated and was what had brought her out alive of many critical situations. The love and longing for Akame were the drive that dictated her entire life. Virtually every decision she made revolved around the person she loved and hated the most. Therefore, the sudden thought which crossed her mind and brought a little smile to her thin lips wasn’t but another product of this obsession.

“Hey!” Kurome addressed the comrade closest to her and tapped the masked person’s shoulder. When she was certain that she got the other’s attention, she brought forward her cause. “Go ahead, I have to see into something over there. Possible battle reinforcement.” A bony finger pointed towards the long sword that was attached to her narrow hips.

The other person nodded and wordlessly turned around to catch up with the rest of the squad. Kurome again did not waste another second and galloped into the direction the screech had come from. Soundlessly, she hopped over roots and avoided other vagaries the undergrowth bore. Hardly a branch brushed against the assassin’s body as she hovered through the white nothing that surrounded her. Here and there, the young girl cut a rank that was in her way. Kurome ignored the water that was pooling in her shoes and cooled down her toes. Her tights as well were by now soaked to the skin by the dew-covered grass that whipped against her legs. Like a maniac, she advanced further. Not even the thickest hedge of thorns could slow her down - she simply sliced her way through the maze of bushes and even became swifter the closer she came to her destination.

Finally, with one last stroke, she exposed a sight that made her stop abruptly and marvel at the spectacle in front of her.

“Slow, slow!” Esdeath ordered as she watched how an oversized object was unloaded from a huge carriage. Thereby, she was making slow movements with her hands that reminded of a conductor.

The colossal wooden crate contained a danger beast that looked like a lizard. It had been adjusted to the carriage’s loading space with arm-thick, massive ropes that were now loosened one after the other. The creature inside the box slammed its tail against the walls and bit into the cage’s bars, thus exposing its sharp teeth.

Kurome could not fight the disappointment. She had expected to find a free danger beast that might had the potential to at least temporarily fill one of the vacant positions Yatsufusa had to offer. The girl was in urgent need of some defensive type fighters because her two remaining puppets were more suitable for offensive tactics.

“Open the cage.” Esdeath said in a monotonous voice when the crate was slowly lowered until it was standing on solid ground. Apparently, she was the only person present that was not at all intimidated or impressed by the monster. Even Iliya had made sure that there was a certain safe distance between him and the beast.

“General Esdeath, are you sure? We have just caught it and it still seems to be hungry…” A man dared to comment. He gulped when Esdeath’s cold eyes pierced him with a disdainful look.

“Open.The.Cage.” There was no doubt she meant business and would not repeat herself once more.

“You heard the general!” he gave his men the signal to pull the ropes that would open the front of the wooden construction that separated them from and the bad-tempered monster.

The soldiers exchanged worried looks but then put all their energy into the task. As the grille was rising higher, Esdeath moved closer and looked at the danger beast. Arms crossed in front of her chest and head held up high, she stood there and kept a straight face. The creature roared loudly and its breath blew Esdeath’s hair out of her face. When the creature came out of the box, it erected itself to its full size and everybody around started to panic. The young general simply smiled palely.

It was only a matter of seconds before she had frozen it from head to toe. The soldiers around her beheld the scene in amazement. They had not yet witnessed the power of the legendary Esdeath and her teigu before. A silent consent ran through them that the Empire’s strongest had definitely lived up to her reputation.

“Let’s go. We have some more things to prepare.” the cerulean-haired general stated.

She was just about to leave the frozen beast behind her when a noise caught her attention. It was a stomach rumble. At turning around, she spotted her youngest subordinate.

“Sorry, Kurome. You can’t eat it. We need it here for the tournament.” Esdeath explained and approached the girl until she was close enough to place the palm of her right hand on top of the messy tuft of black hair. Under a silent groan that made her throat vibrate, the teenager wiped away a little line of saliva that ran from the corner of her mouth. Esdeath smiled gently and reached out for a bag that had been placed on a tree trunk.

“But maybe this will do as well.” After an instant of rummaging and rearranging the content of the bag, she extracted a small lunch box. The general removed the lid and thus exposed a little snack arrangement she offered to the girl. A tiny smile went as soon as it had come when Kurome happily accepted.

“You know, we have caught them on Mount Fake since the population in the valleys has drastically decreased since the famines have broken out. Many people learned to appreciate their flesh and thus hunted them despite the possibility of losing their lives.” Esdeath said, helping herself to a plum that was covered in a roll of fine bacon. “The danger beasts are only one of many little challenges the ones that want to join us will have to face today.” Kurome did not perceive the mischievous smile that spread across the other woman’s face as she was too busy stuffing her mouth with the delicacies.

xXx

Tatsumi was having a hard time keeping his eyes shut during that night. The excitement was too intensive. Positive and negative feelings had alternated so quickly that he could in the end not even tell them apart. A couple of times, this had caused his heart to hammer heavily against his chest. So many thoughts had crossed his mind. But most of all, it was the fear of failing all the people he cared about.

When he had finally fallen asleep after hours and hours of tossing and turning around in the sheets, the first light was already gently coming through his window. As soon as his eyes fell shut, he found himself travelling back in time and reliving the most dramatic day in his entire alive again.

_The day had begun like hundreds before._

_Tatsumi opened his eyes._

_Ieyasu was still sleeping soundly in the bed next to him. His friend was well-hidden under the thick duvet that moved up and down along his regular breathing._

_Tatsumi quietly left the warmth of his bed and gathered his clothes from the floor._

_Tiptoeing, he left for the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a shower._

_As usual, he joined Sayo in the kitchen to help her prepare the breakfast._

_He started to place the plates on the table and checked the fire so they could boil water for tea and coffee._

_Up to now, everything was going according to their daily routine._

_But that day, Sayo asked him to help her with the fried eggs._

_The girl had sprained her wrist during the swordsmanship training the other day, and thus had some difficulties lifting up the heavy iron pan. The boy came to the girl’s help so quickly that he did not notice that her hand was still holding the handle of the pan when he reached out for it himself._

_Their hands made contact._

_Not only their fingers met, but also their eyes._

_What lasted a second seemed like an eternity._

_Tatsumi felt how heat seized his entire body. If it wasn’t for his skin, he would have melted and lost all tangible shape when he realized that the hardness in Sayo’s eyes had vanished for a split second._

_Sayo swallowed and moved her finger. Which one, Tatsumi could not tell. He just felt the stroke of a fragile limb against his hand. A silent sigh wandered from his lungs to his mouth. He parted his lips to let the warm cloud of breath escape but could not find the strength to press them together again afterwards._

_The girl made a tiny step towards him._

_“HEY YOU TWO!!!”_

_The merciless voice, whose sound came out even louder than usual thanks to the acoustic of the still empty dining hall, made both of them flinch in surprise. The boy and the girl alike snapped out of their absent-minded state._

_Ieyasu came from behind and hugged both of his friends, flinging one arm around each one’s neck, bringing their faces close to his chest. Sayo brusquely let go of the pan and pulled her hand back. Subsequently, she freed herself from Ieyasu’s assault by poking her elbow into his side, forcefully enough to make him cringe a little bit. However, the boy with the headband did not care much about his friend’s reaction as he interpreted it as one of her playful railleries. Without paying any attention to Sayo, he pulled Tatsumi a few steps along beside him before he loosened his grip._

_“Hey, hey! Fried eggs? I am almost starving! I swear, these night shifts are not made for me, afterwards I feel like having been tortured and I am always so hungry! Can you imagine? I ask myself why this is, you know, maybe we burn more calories when we have to be active during the night hours. I tell ya, Tats, we humans are not made for night shifts! Night shifts slowly kill you! You hear me, they kill you!”_

_Tatsumi nodded. “Hnn.” He had not processed one single world of his friend’s babbling. He had been too busy observing Sayo who polished some spoons with the hem of her apron, face well hidden behind the shiny, thick curtain of raven-black hair. It was impossible to read her body language._

_“Did you hear that?! What was that?!” Ieyasu gabbled, his head jumping into all possible directions to locate the source of the dull sound._

_Then, the same sound occurred a second time._

_The three friends looked at each other, searching for answers in the other’s eyes._

_Then, it was heard a third time._

_And now, it was accompanied by hysterical screams that came from the direction of the granary. Sayo, Ieyasu and Tatsumi exchanged one last look before they all darted towards the exit. Before the friends had reached the door, another boy came rushing in. The blood that leaked from a scratch above his eyebrow was dripping onto the dusty floor._

_“We’re under attack!” he screamed, sheer panic and despair written all over his face._

_The dull sounds became more frequent and the multitude of voices was growing louder. Shortly afterwards, the crying of the siren joined the commotion: It was the ultimate call to arms._

_Whereas Ieyasu and Tatsumi were running directly to the hidden door that connected the dining hall and the rest of the camp’s overground terrain with the armory, Sayo stayed back in the dining hall to look after the boy. She took him by the hand and dragged him behind her into the kitchen._

_Hectically, the weapons were distributed among the young fighters. Tatsumi and Ieyasu grabbed their swords in passing and joined the crowd that stormed back to the surface in order to defend their camp._

_All the training, all the hours they had spent beating each other with wooden swords and sticks while laughing and joking around had been nothing but practice for emergency. But no one had ever expected that the day they had to prove themselves in direct and real battle would approach that suddenly. Despite the constant reminders and reprimands from the instructors, they had never seen the day coming, the Empire would actually locate them._

_The three friends had known each other since their early childhood as they all had grown up in the same orphanage. No one could remember who had come up with the idea originally, but someday, they had decided that they wanted to become warriors and fight for a better future. The premises they started on were good as their orphanage send children with a certain potential for military services to camps like these where they were educated and trained to support the Revolutionary Army’s best divisions._

_Consequentially, these camps were kept a big secret since it was only natural that the Empire would take a keen interest in destroying such germ cells of the rebellion. Unfortunately, a certain sum was enough to make a double agent disclose one of the Revolutionary Army’s best kept secrets and give away the coordinates of similar institutions in the South. Since the information of this treason had gone viral, it was red alert what was noticeable above all in the increased strictness during training._

_The boys climbed the last stairs that led them into the light of the day. As per usual for the North, during the first months of the year, the sun hardly penetrated through the many layers of heavy, grey clouds. Therefore, it did not take much time until their eyes got used to the daylight. That also meant that they promptly viewed every detail that judging from the sounds had only been vaguely perceptible. Their determination left them. A terrible, gruesome scene presented itself to them. They gaped. Being confronted with an actual war scenario was nothing one could ever be prepared for._

_But actually, it was not war, it was slaughter._

_The Empire’s soldiers, clad in snow white armor with black stylized crosses on them, were clearly outnumbered by the many cadets of the camp. But the orphans were no match for the battle-tested men. Effortlessly, they mowed them down like cattle. The youngest ones that had still not fully grasped the drama of the situation were the first victims to be cut by high-grade steel forged by a master’s hand. With one swing, an imperial soldier killed about three orphans._

_The blood ran off in dark drops from the ivory pieces of armor like raindrops from a lotus flower’s smooth surface. The same could not be said about the ground that soon was soaked with the life substance that escaped from the many dead bodies. The earth could not drink quickly enough at some spots so that black paddles contrasted the last remains of frozen snow. However, it was not only the blood of orphans, but also that of some soldiers who had underestimated their opponent and thereby squandered the advantage of experience and corselets._

_Many of the instructors and the camp leaders were not present. They had been needed to defend the North and help the Revolutionary Army to prevent the entire region from falling completely into the Empire’s hands. When Tatsumi had overcome the first shock, he took Ieyasu with him and together, the boys rushed to their comrade’s defense. An inner voice was not the only thing that kept telling the brunette teen that they could hardly stand a chance, and that at the pace the orphans were killed, it would only be a matter of half an hour before they vanished from the earth’s surface._

_But they could not die without resistance._

_Tears were brimming in Tatsumi’s green eyes when he threw himself at a soldier under a deafening roar. The bodies rolled a short distance before the unarmored one climbed on top of the other. The boy led his sword through the visor of the helmet and dug the blade through his skull. Tatsumi got up and pushed his foot against the man’s chest to pull the weapon out again. Then, he threw the bloody sword away, exchanged it with the better one the soldier had carried._

_From the corner of his eye, he saw Sayo approaching the battlefield. She had never backed away from fighting and possessed more spirit than any man. Her fighting style fit her personality: graceful as a dancer and merciless as someone who had nothing left to lose. In her light colored clothes, she looked like an angel seeking revenge for its fallen comrades. The beautiful face was emotionless as she delivered one fatal blow after the other, each one meticulously aimed at spots that were not covered by armor. There was no sign of her injured wrist._

_The girl was busy fending off the attacks from multiple enemies when another one sneaked up on her from another direction that she could impossibly see coming. The man was lying in wait behind a tree, waiting for the moment the other soldiers had forced Sayo back a little bit more so he could slit her throat._

_Then, it happened._

_Sayo slipped on intestines that had been spilled from a torso of an orphan that had been cut in half. The black-haired beauty hit her elbow on a pointy stone as she fell over. She cried out in pain, pressed the injured arm against her stomach and covered it with the palm of the other hand, completely forgetting the danger for the moment being._

_Tatsumi had made it halfway through the battlefield when he saw that the man behind the tree left his hideout and seized the chance to attack the girl. His inner voice told him that no matter how hard he would try, Tatsumi would not make it in time to save her, but he still tried to. He inhaled the pain in his chest away and increased his pace. Strong steps made sure he did not slip or fall over himself. In slow motion, he saw how the enemy lifted the hand that firmly held a sharp knife over his head and moved it down towards Sayo again._

_Ieyasu appeared out of nowhere. Tatsumi had completely lost sight of his best friend since they had joined the heat of the battle. Now, he watched his friend sliding in between Sayo and the blade. The silver object disappeared completely inside his throat and the man holding the knife handle at the other end moved it down to his collar bone. A fountain of blood squirted out of the opened throat and spilled over Ieyasu’s chest, drenching his clothes. The boy looked up to the heavens in disbelief and pressed both hands against the long line that granted insight into his body._

_Within a second, he was on his knees. Pulling out the knife of the wound was the last thing he did before he collapsed into Sayo who was kneeling behind him. The girl caught him but Ieyasu’s head hung loosely to the side, his facial features showing no longer any sign of life. Everything that moved was the blood that kept flowing out of his body._

_Tatsumi saw that Sayo’s mouth was opened as far as her jaw would allow it. Tears rolled uncontrollably across her cheeks, leaving white trails on her dirty skin. She was holding Ieyasu’s body in a firm embrace, preventing it from falling over. The brunette assumed that she was crying, but he could not hear a sound. A high note was all that sounded in his ears. His sight as well was not as it used to be. A white haze covered his vision._

_This could not be real._

_But it was._

_Some more seconds passed. The owner of the knife grinned under his helmet. Fast as lightning, he pulled out from behind his back a spear with a long blade. He used the weapon to pierce it through Ieyasu’s limb body and did not stop until he had skewered Sayo as well. From the angle of the attack, Tatsumi could tell that the pointed tip must have hit the girl’s heart._

_Unspeakable anger seized him._

_He could not tell anymore what happened, he did not see anything. It was like his consciousness had refused to step in. His body acted on his own. All that was there were the red spray of blood and the feeling of the cold sword hilt in his hand._

_Suddenly, the boy could not support himself anymore._

_He had reached his limit._

_His legs turned into jelly and broke down under the impact of the impressions and pictures he had just witnessed. His head landed in a paddle of mudd and through his lips, he could taste the mixture of earth, water and blood. Tatsumi lay there, completely still. It was time to leave this world, to join Ieyasu and Sayo. He looked straight ahead. When a shadow was cast over him, he prepared himself for all kinds of pain that a fatal blow might cause him to feel. But instead of feeling pain, he saw how various human limbs came falling down from the sky._

_It was raining human parts._

_Hands, single fingers, heads, legs._

_Everything._

_With the rest of power that was left in his body, Tatsumi slowly turned his head slightly to his left side and saw two people: a tall figure clad in an amazing-looking armour, wielding a spear with a bright red, double edged triangular blade and a slender woman with purple hair and clothes that held a huge pair of scissors with such ease as if it were a tiny cosmetic tool._

_The last thing he remembered was that the armored giant came and shouldered him. Tatsumi maybe was alive, but his body was lifeless as the ones of his dead comrades. His arms and legs as well as his head dangled to and fro, slapped against the armor of the man that was carrying him._

_He could no longer keep his eyes open._

Panting heavily and covered in sweat, Tatsumi was now sitting upright in his bed in the Night Raid hideout. His hand wandered to his nape and massaged the damp skin. The boy had the impression he was suffocating from the guilty feeling of having been the only one that had survived this massacre thanks to Bulat and Sheele.

 _Air, I need air!_ It flashed through his mind and he struggled to kick away the sheets. Tatsumi nervously opened the window. He supported himself on the windowsill and bent his body over the window frame. Once the chill breeze blew gently against his face, he breathed in through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. The procedure was repeated until he felt that he was coming to peace again.

Tatsumi sighed and rubbed his face against the palms of his hands. He crossed his elbows and leaned them against the lower window frame, looking towards the direction where the Capital lay. Now that the ghost that haunted him in his dreams had fled from the daylight, he had to exorcise the demons that manifested themselves in the shape of self-doubts, regrets and grief. Tatsumi disappeared inside of his head, his green eyes fixating the horizon.

_Sayo. Ieyasu. All the other comrades. Aniki. Night Raid. I swear I will do my best to make the Empire fall. If there is a chance to seize, I will grab it with my two hands! If there is a possibility to turn this world into a place where peace is not a luxury anymore, I will dig through the dirt and humiliate myself if necessary. Your deaths shall not have been in vain! I survived because of Aniki. This means I am responsible for carrying your dreams in my heart and turn them into reality in your place – for you. Bulat has taken me here. Without his kind words and persistence, they would have sent me back to the North. But I am here. And fate has chosen this path for me for a reason. Whatever dangers may lie ahead: I WILL FACE THEM ALL!_

He felt that this was the right attitude to start the day that might would bring about another significant change in his life. With his right hand, he embraced the key he had found in the little clay stature the other day. The object was now adjusted to a simple leather band hanging around his neck. With his index finger, the boy ran over the unusual ornaments. He had decided that this would be his good luck charm. Tatsumi elongated his torso and bend over the windowsill to have one last taste of the wonderful morning air.

But instead of refreshing oxygen, it was a rather unpleasant smell that reached his nostrils. It was the stench of burnt oil. At once, he lowered his head and saw that from the room underneath, a thick cloud of smoke was escaping. The boy closed his window, grabbed his clothes and eagerly ran down the stairs, getting dressed as he was advancing. Already on the staircase, another cloud greeted him. Tatsumi waved his hand in front of his body in hectic motions to regain some sight.

When he entered the kitchen, he saw Sheele standing in front of the sink, holding her hand under a jet of cool water. Her hair was a mess. Many little hairs were curled at their ends. Also her dress was not as usual: there were uncountable little burn holes all over the lavender fabric and the hem of the front was still smoking from when Sheele had poured water over that very part after it had caught fire.

“Are you okay?” Tatsumi asked timidly.

Sheele looked over her shoulder and smiled gently. “Sure.”

“What’s happened?”

“Oh… uhm… yeah… I wanted to make breakfast… so I prepared the pan with oil to fry bacon. Then there was something. I left the room… what was I looking for again? Oh, no, I had to pee! Ah no… wait… no… I heard you mumbling in your room when I was peeing. That was why I wanted to prepare breakfast in the first place! You can’t leave today without having eaten something.” She stopped the water from flowing and wrapped her red hand into a kitchen towel. “Hmm… but what was that again why I left the kitchen…” she mumbled.

Tatsumi could see that she was really giving herself a hard time remembering and putting the events into their correct order. He went over to her and hugged her lightly, expressing his sincere happiness.

“Thank you for your benevolence, I really appreciate this!” he whispered. Then, the teenager looked around the room. The smoke was thinning out by now and thus allowed a first vague impression of the mess’ full extent. Judging from the yellowish spots and the rest of orange zest that were spread all over the kitchen floor, Tatsumi assumed that she had also tried to make juice. The thin layer of flour and a dozen broken eggs were traces of a failed attempt of a pancake production. ´Tatsumi raised his eyebrows. He was touched by the gesture. “I guess, I’ll grab something on my way to the tournament.”

xXx

Shortly afterwards, the entirety of Night Raid was assembled in front of the hideout to say their goodbyes and to wish Tatsumi luck for his upcoming self-imposed challenge. Most of the members did not want to let the boy leave without addressing some last helpful words to him.

“Remember: a good assassin knows when it is best to get the fuck out!” Lubbock reminded him with a raised finger.

“The meat of the evil bird is the best one. It is also filled with many nutrients.” Akame explained.

“This is how you want to show up in the Capital!” Chelsea exclaimed. She tilted her head to the side and shook it. When Tatsumi asked what exactly she was referring to, she elaborated. “Your clothes. Laaaaame!” She gave him a thumbs down and made a farting sound with her mouth but then laughed light-heartedly and pressed a candy into his hand. “Some soul food!” The auburn-haired girl looked at him with her brightest smile.

Mine approached him and reached out her little fist that was apparently containing something. “I also have a little useful thing for you.” The snigger that followed her words already caused an awkward feeling in Tatsumi’s stomach. _Nothing good ever came from her._ Nevertheless, he stretched out his arm and presented her the palm of his hand. When Mine opened her fist, a little white object fell into Tatsumi’s hand.

“WHAT THE HELL!” he yelled and looked at the tampon.

“In case you menstruate… you pussy…” the pinkette scoffed, a self-complacent look on her doll face.

 _I should have known that she would not let me leave without one last humiliation!_ Tatsumi pressed his jaws together but then could not fight the comment that crossed his mind. “I bet you brooded over that terribly original and witty _joke_ the entire night…” he mumbled through gritted teeth.

Before the situation could escalate, Leone pushed Mine and Sheele to the side and attacked Tatsumi by hugging the younger boy enthusiastically. “Here, I’ll give you something that can warm your heart when you’re feeling depressed!” the feline woman sang before she buried Tatsumi’s head in between her ample bosom. When Tatsumi had freed himself, he gasped for air.

Then, Bulat stepped forward. He placed his huge hands on Tatsumi’s comparatively weak shoulders. The shadow that was cast by the former soldier’s imposing figure devoured the brunette boy completely.

“Tatsumi”, he began. “I found you and brought you here. I saw the potential in you and put in a good word for you so that you could stay with us. I have trained you personally and watched you grow as a warrior and a man during these few days we have spent together. And now…” Bulat paused and sighed. He looked away and let his eyes wander around the green surroundings. “And now, you leave me for a pair of mighty breasts which is not only hurting my feelings but breaks my very heart!” he sniffed dramatically and hid his face behind his hand.

“A-Aniki! It’s, it’s not like that at all!” Tatsumi felt how his throat narrowed and it became difficult to swallow. “I never meant to, I mean, I didn’t…” he stammered, wiggling wildly in search of the right gesture.

“He is joking. Idiot.” Gwenn’s voice resounded colorlessly and with an undertone of indifference.

Bulat chuckled and rubbed her head. “Gwenn, wasn’t there something else?” The man sounded like a kindergarten teacher that wanted to convey basic rules of social behavior.

“Oh, really, was there?” She said sharply and pursed her lips as if she was about to spit venom. The manslayer gently pushed her into Tatsumi’s direction. She did not look at the boy in front of her but simply conjured up two small flat, round tin boxes from one of her jacket pockets. “The red one is an ointment that works especially well with cuts, the blue one is bee wax – to close wounds.” the redhead explained soberly.

Though he still felt quite uncomfortable around the medic, he nodded politely to thank her.

Najenda offered Tatsumi her good hand. He accepted and they exchanged a hearty handshake.

“You know that you can come back any time in case your plan does not work out.” She said gently. “But you can of course be certain of our full support in case you actually succeed.” The cigarette in between her lips moved when the corners of her mouth moved up to smile.

“Thank you.” Tatsumi said and looked at the faces that had grown dear to him during the last months.

Then, he grabbed the backpack as well as the special lunchbox Susanoo had prepared for him and turned around to leave.

“A TWIG! I WANTED TO GET A TWIG TO DECORATE THE PLATE WITH IT! That was why the oil caught fire!” Sheele suddenly shrieked out of nothing, making all heads turn into her direction.

Tatsumi threw a last look over his shoulder as he walked down the steep path that led away from his home and friends and watched them as they laughed and joked.

 _I will not disappoint you._ With a confident look on his face and an expression of glee, he hurried towards the Capital.

xXx

It was not difficult to find the registration point – Tatsumi simply had to walk into the direction where the volume of the voices was growing louder and louder. Men, women, children, animals – the cacophony was a weird mixture of different human and animalistic sounds. When Tatsumi left a narrow alley and crossed the main street he already saw two huge banners towering over the market place that indicated the spot he was looking for.

“Excuse me… sorry… ehm, would you mind…” The boy felt like a serpent, pushing himself past the masses of muscular men that all had come to take the same challenge as himself – or with the hope of getting a glance of the beautiful Esdeath. That became clear from the snippets of conversations that made it into Tatsumi’s ears.

“Those tits! I would sell my children and wife to get only some playtime with them!”

“I heard that she can freeze the blood in your veins by only looking at you! Like that thing from mythology.”

“She is the youngest general in the Empire’s history.”

Tatsumi rolled his eyes.

He was disgusted. Still it filled him with a certain respect to listen to the animalistic nature of some of his potential opponents. The teenager had well learned that the fewer moral restrictions and connections to civilized behavior a man had, the more dangerous he could be.

Tatsumi realized that he was surrounded by predators and thus had to be utterly careful not to become their prey.

* * *

 

**A/N: As you could see, this was some kind of a transition chapter, why it is also a little bit shorter than the previous ones. I had originally planned to publish this together with the actual tournament part. However, as this part can stand alone as well, especially since it is sort of my backstory for Tatsumi, I decided to publish it as one installment. By doing so, I can maybe make up a bit for the long wait as well :D**

**During the time I was taking a break from writing, I also restructured things and changed some of the concepts I had originally in mind. Some plot lines were erased or completely altered so that I can create some new scenarios. Already the next chapter should illustrate what I mean with that.**

**Another little thing I would like to announce is that I am playing with the idea of doing some drawings for this series. For this purpose, I will most likely start a blog as soon as I have enough presentable works. In case you are interested, you can send me requests with the scenes of this story you would like to see an illustration of.**

**And last but not least, I would like to answer to a question in the review section: YES, there will be lemons – but everything at its right place and time since I have to form the pairings first or at least prepare the way for some quality time interaction :D**

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: In this chapter, the first three OCs were introduced. There are some more to come as the story progresses - mostly with the intention of shedding some light to the canon characters’ backgrounds and facets of their personalities. One reason I am writing this fiction is that there are some characters I would like to give more attention since they did not receive enough in the manga. Namely the entire cast of Wild Hunt, Run, Wave, Lubbock, Bulat and Budo.  
> I also hope that you like the idea of everybody still being alive. But keep in mind that this is an AgK story, so everything can happen and I will try to embrace this credo enthusiastically. But I will not give any information on which characters die or what will be the pairings. In my opinion this ruins the suspense. It would be a pleasure if you continued reading to find out yourself!


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